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RUFUS  AND  ROSE; 


OB, 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY. 


BY 

HORATIO 

'/ 

A  UTHOR  OP  "  RAGGED  DICK,"  "  FAME  AND  FORTUNE,"  "  MARK,  THE  MATCH 
BOY,"  "ROUGH  AND  READY,"  "BEN,  THE  LUGGAGE  BOY,"  "CAM 
PAIGN  SERIES,"  "UJCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES,"  ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PORTER    &    COATES 


FAMOUS  ALGEE  BOOKS.  ' 

. — 

Illustrated,  Cloth,  Extra,  Blacft  and  Gold. 

BAGGED  DICK  SERIES.     Complete  in  six  vols.    Price  per  vol.,  Si  25. 

Ragged  Dick  ;  or,  Street  Life  in  New  York. 

Fame  and  Fortune  ;  or,  The  Progress  of  Richard  Huiiter. 

Mark  the  Match  Boy. 

Bough  and  Ready ;  or,  Life  among  the  New  York  Newsboys. 

Ben  the  Luggage-Boy;  or,  Among  the  Wharves. 

Rufus  and  Rose ;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  Rough  and  Ready. 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES.    A  Continuation  of  the  Ragged  Dick  Series. 
Price  per  vol.,  SI  25. 

First  Series.     Complete  in  four  vols. 
Tattered  Tom  ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Street  Arab. 
Paul  the  Peddler ;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Young  Street  Merchant. 
Phil  the  Fiddler;  or,  The  Young  Street  Musician. 
Slow  and  Sure ;  or,  From  the  Sidewalk  to  the  Shop. 
Second  Series.     Complete  in  four  vols. 
Julius;  or,  The  Street  Boy  out  West. 
The  Young  Outlaw  ;  or,  Adrift  in  the  World. 
Sam's  Chance,  and  How  he  Improved  It. 
The  District  Telegraph  Boy. 

CAMPAIGN  SERIES.     Complete  in  three  vols.     Price  per  vol.,  $1  25. 

Frank's  Campaign. 
Paul  Prescott's  Charge. 
Charlie  Codman's  Cruise. 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES.    Price  per  vol.,  $1  50. 

First  Series.     Complete  in  four  vols. 
Luck  and  Pluck;  or,  John  Oakley's  Inheritance. 
Sink  or  Swim  ;  or,  Harry  Raymond's  Resolve. 
Strong  and  Steady  ;  or,  Paddle  your  Own  Canoe. 
Strive  and  Succeed  ;  or,  The  Progress  of  Walter  Conrad. 

Second  Series.     Complete  in  four  vols. 
Try  and  Trust;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Bound  Boy. 
Bound  to  Rise ;  or,  How  Harry  Walton  Rose  in  the  World. 
Risen  from  the  Ranks ;  or,  Harry  Walton's  Success. 
Herbert  Carter's  Legacy  ;  or,  The  Inventor's  Son. 

BRAVE  AND  BOLD  SERIES.  Complete  in  four  vols.  Price  per  vol.,  $1  50. 

Brave  and  Bold  ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Factory  Boy. 
Jack's  Ward  ;  or,  The  Boy  Guardian. 
Shifting  for  Himself?  or,  Gilbert  Greyson's  Fortunes. 
Wait  and  Hope ;  or,  Ben  Bradford's  Motto. 

PACIFIC  SERIES.    Complete  in  four  vols.    Price  per  vol.,  $1  25. 

The  Young  Adventurer  ;  or,  Tom's  Trip  across  the  Plains. 
The  Young  Miner;  or,  Tom  Nelson  in  California. 
The  Young  Explorers ;  or,  Among  the  Sierras. 
(Fourth  volume  in  preparation.) 


COPYRIGHT  BY  A.  K;LQRJNQ,  1870. 


PS  \o2°l 


/n  A  •  / 


MT      TOUNO      PRIENDO, 


HENRY      AND 


THIS     VOLUME 


ATTBCTIONATKLY 


M189742 


PREFACE. 


IK  presenting  to  the  public  the  last  volume  of  the  "KAGGED 
DICK  SERIES,"  the  author  desires  to  return  his  thanks  for 
the  generous  reception  accorded,  both  by  the  press  and  the 
public,  to  these  stories  of  street  life.  Several  of  the  char 
acters  are  drawn  from  life,  and  nearly  all  of  the  incidents 
are  of  actual  occurrence.  Indeed,  the  materials  have  been 
found  so  abundant  that  invention  has  played  but  a  subordinate 
part. 

The  principal  object  proposed,  in  the  preparation  of  these 
volumes,  has  been  to  show  that  the  large  class  of  street 
boys  —  numbering  thousands  in  New  York  alone  —  furnishes 
material  out  of  which  good  citizens  may  be  made,  if  the  right 
influences  are  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  In  every  case, 
therefore,  the  author  has  led  his  hero,  step  by  step,  from 
vagabondage  to  a  position  of  respectability ;  and,  in  so  doing, 
has  incurred  the  charge,  in  some  quarters,  of  exaggeration. 
It  can  easily  be  shown,  however,  that  he  has  fallen  phort  of 
the  truth,  rather  than  exceeded  it.  In  proof,  the  following 
extract  from  an  article  in  a  New  York  daily  paper  is  sub 
mitted :  — 

"  As  a  class,  the  newsboys  of  New  York  are  worthy  of 
more  than  common  attenti3n.  The  requirements  of  the  trade 
naturally  tend  to  develop  activity  both  of  mind  and  body,  and. 


PREFACE. 

in  looking  over  some  historical  facts,  we  find  that  many  of  out 
most  conspicuous  public  men  have  commenced  their  careers 
as  newsboys.  Many  of  the  principal  offices  of  our  city  gov 
ernment  and  our  chief  police  courts  testify  to  the  truth  of 
this  assertion.  From  the  West  we  learn  that  many  of  the 
most  enterprising  journalists  spring  from  the  same  stock." 

Not  long  since,  while  on  a  western  journey,  the  Superin 
tendent  of  the  Lodging  House  in  Park  Place  found  one  of 
his  boys  filling  the  position  of  District  Attorney  in  a  western 
State,  another  settled  as  a  clergyman,  and  still  others  pros 
perous  and  even  wealthy  business  men.  These  facts  are  full 
of  encouragement  for  those  who  are  laboring  to  redeem  and 
elevate  the  street  boy,  and  train  him  up  to  fill  a  respectable 
position  in  society. 

Though  the  six  yolumes  already  issued  complete  his 
original  purpose,  the  author  finds  that  he  has  by  no  means 
exhausted  his  subject,  and  is  induced  to  announce  a  second 
series,  devoted  to  still  other  phases  of  street  life  This  will 
shortly  be  commenced,  under  the  general  name  ol  the 

"  TATTERED  TOM  SERIES." 
JSaw  YORK.   November  i,  1170. 


RUFUS  AND  ROSE; 

OB, 

THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY. 


CHAPTER    I. 

NEW    PLANS. 

•4  So  this  is  to  be  your  first  day  in  Wall  Street, 
Rufus,"  said  Miss  Manning. 

"  Yes,"  said  Rufus,  "  I've  retired  from  the  news 
paper  business  on  a  large  fortune,  and  now  I'm  going 
into  business  in  Wall  Street  just  to  occupy  my 
time." 

The  last  speaker  was  a  stout,  well-grown  boy  of 
fifteen,  with  a  pleasant  face,  calculated  to  inspire  con 
fidence.  He  looked  manly  and  self-reliant,  and 
firm  of  purpose.  For  years  he  had  been  a  newsboy, 
plying  his  trade  in  the  streets  of  New  York,  and  by 

his  shrewdness,  and  a  certain  ready  rrit,  joined  witr 

9 


10  RUFUS   AND   ROSE;    OR, 

attention  to  business,  he  had  met  with  better  suc 
cess  than  most  of  his  class.  He  had  been  a  leader 
among  them,  and  had  received  the  name  of  "  Rough 
and  Ready,"  suggested  in  part,  no  doubt,  by  his 
name,  Rufus ;  but  the  appellation  described  not 
inaptly  his  prominent  traits.  He  understood  thor 
oughly  how  to  take  care  of  himself,  and  thought  it 
no  hardship,  that,  at  an  age  when  most  boys  are 
tenderly  cared  for,  he  was  sent  out  into  the  streets 
to  shift  for  himself. 

His  mother  had  been  dead  for  some  time.  His 
step-father,  James  Martin,  was  a  drunkard,  and  he 
had  been  compelled  to  take  away  his  little  sister 
Rose  from  the  miserable  home  in  which  he  had  kept 
her,  and  had  undertaken  to  support  her,  as  well  as 
himself.  He  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  obtain 
a  home  for  her  with  Miss  Manning,  a  poor  seam 
stress,  whom  he  paid  for  her  services  in  taking  care 
of  Rose.  His  step-father,  in  order  to  thwart  and 
torment  him,  had  stolen  the  little  girl  away,  and 
kept  her  in  Brooklyn  for  a  while,  until  Rufus  got  a 
clue  to  her  whereabouts,  and  succeeded  in  getting 
her  back.  At  the  time  when  the  story  opens,  he 


THE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  11 

hail  just  recovered  her,  and  having  been  fortunate 
enough  to  render  an  important  service  to  Mr.  Turner, 
a  Wall  Street  broker,  was  on  this  Monday  morning 
to  enter  his  office,  at  a  salary  of  eight  dollars  a 
week. 

This  sketch  of  the  newsboy's  earlier  history  is 
given  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  not  read  the 
book  called  "Rough  and  Ready,"  in  which  it  is 
related  at  length.  «  It  is  necessary  to  add  that  Rufus 
was  in  some  sense  a  capitalist,  having  five  hundred 
dollars  deposited  in  a  savings-bank  to  his  credit 
Of  this  sum,  he  had  found  three  hundred  one  day, 
which,  as  no  claimant  ever  appeared  for  it,  he 
had  been  justified  in  appropriating  to  his  own  use. 
The  remainder  had  been  given  him  by  Mr.  Turner, 
in  partial  acknowledgment  of  the  service  before 
referred  to. 

"  Y  .'nr  new  life  will  seem  strange  to  you  at  first, 
Rufir  ,"  said  Miss  Manning. 

"  Fes,  it  does  already.  When  I  woke  up  this 
morning,  I  was  going  to  jump  out  of  bed  in  a  hurry, 
'*  nking  I  must  go  round  to  Nassau  Street  to  get 


12  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  GJ?, 

my  papers.  Then  all  at  once  I  thought  that  I'd 
given  up  being  a  newsboy.  But  it  seemed  queer/' 

"  I  didn't  know  but  you'd  gone  back  to  your  old 
business,"  said  the  seamstress,  pointing  to  a  paper 
in  his  hand. 

"  It's  this  morning's  '  Herald,' "  explained  Rufus  ; 
"  you  and  Rose  will  have  to  be  looking  for  another 
room  where  Martin  can't  find  you.  You'll  find  two 
columns  of  advertisements  of  '  Boarders  and  Lodgers 
Wanted,'  so  you  can  take  your  choice." 

"  I'll  go  out  this  morning,"  said  the  seamstress. 

"All  right.  Take  Rose  along  with  you,  or  you 
may  find  her  missing  when  you  get  back." 

There  was  considerable  reason  to  fear  that  the 
step-father,  James  Martin,  would  make  a  fresh 
attempt  to  get  possession  of  Rose,  and  Rufus  felt 
that  it  was  prudent  to  guard  against  this. 

"  Have  you  had  breakfast,  Rufus?" 

"  Yes ;  I  got  breakfast  at  the  Lodging  House." 

Here  it  may  be  remarked  that  Rufus  had  enjoyed 
advantages  superior  to  most  of  his  class,  and  spoke 
more  correctly  in  general,  but  occasionally  fell  into 
modes  of  pronunciation  such  as  he  was  accustomed 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.  13 

to  hear  from  his  street  associates.  He  had  lately 
devoted  a  part  of  his  evenings  to  study,  under  the 
superintendence  of  Miss  Manning,  who,  coming  orig 
inally  from  a  country  home,  had  had  a  good  common- 
school  education. 

"  It's  time  I  was  going  down  to  the  office,"  said 
Rufus.  "  Good-morning,  Miss  Manning.  Good, 
morning,  Rosy,"  as  he  stooped  to  kiss  his  little  sis- 
ter,  a  pretty  little  girl  of  eight. 

"  Good-morning,  Rufie.  Don't  let  Mr.  Martin 
carry  you  off." 

"  I  think  he'd  have  a  harder  job  to  carry  me  off 
than  you,  Rosy,"  said  Rufus,  laughing.  "Don't 
engage  lodgings  on  Fifth  Avenue,  Miss  Manning. 
I'm  afraid  it  would  take  more  than  I  can  earn  in 
Wall  Street  to  pay  my  share  of  the  expense." 

"  I  shall  be  content  with  an  humbler  home,"  said 
the  seamstress,  smiling. 

Rufus  left  the  little  room,  which,  by  the  way,  looked 
out  on  Franklin  Street  near  the  Hudson  River,  and 
the  seamstress,  taking  the  "Herald,"  turned  to  the 
column  of  "  Boarders  and  Lodgers  Wanted." 

There  was  a  long  list,  but  the  greater  part  of  tbo 


14  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

rooms  advertised  were  quite  beyond  her  slender 
means.  Remembering  that  it  would  be  prudent  to 
get  out  of  their  present  neighborhood,  in  order  to 
put  the  drunken  step-father  off  the  track,  she  looked 
for  places  farther  up  town.  The  objection  to  this, 
however,  was,  that  prices  advance  as  you  go  up  town. 
Still  the  streets  near  the  river  are  not  considered  so 
eligible,  and  she  thought  that  they  might  find  some 
thing  there.  She  therefore  marked  one  place  on 
Spring  Street,  another  on  Leroy  Street,  and  still 
another,  though  with  some  hesitation,  on  Christopher 
Street.  She  feared  that  Rufus  would  object  to  this 
as  too  far  up  town. 

"  Now  put  on  your  things,  Rose,  and  we'll  take  a 
walk." 

"  That  will  be  nice."  said  Rose,  and  the  little  girl 
ran  to  get  her  shawl  and  bonnet.  When  she  was 
dressed  for  the  street,  Rose  would  hardly  have  beer 
taken  for  the  sister  of  a  newsboy.  She  had  a  pretty 
face,  full  of  vivacity  and  intelligence,  and  her 
brother's  pride  in  her  had  led  him  to  dress  her  better 
than  might  have  been  expected  from  his  small  means, 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.     15 

Many  children  of  families  in  good  circumstances 
were  less  neatly  and  tastefully  dressed  than  Rose. 

Taking  the  little  girl  by  the  hand,  Miss  Manning 
led  the  way  down  the  narrow  staircase.  It  was  far 
from  a  handsome  house  in  which  they  had  thus  far 
made  their  home.  The  wall-paper  was  torn  from  the 
walls  in  places,  revealing  patches  of  bare  plastering  ; 
there  was  a  faded  and  worn  oil-cloth  upon  the  stairs, 
while  outside  the  rooms  at  intervals,  along  the  entry, 
were  buckets  of  dirty  water  and  rubbish,  which  had 
been  temporarily  placed  there  by  the  occupants.  Aa 
it  was  Monday,  washing  was  going  on  in  several 
of  the  rooms,  and  the  vapor  arising  from  hot  suds 
found  its  way  into  the  entry  from  one  or  two  half- 
Dpen  doors.  On  the  whole,  it  was  not  a  nice  or 
savory  home,  and  the  seamstress  felt  no  regret  in 
leaving  it.  But  the  question  was,  would  she  be 
likely  to  find  a  better. 

The  seamstress  made  her  way  first  to  Spring  Street. 
She  was  led  to  infer,  from  the  advertisement,  that  she 
might  find  cheap  accommodations.  But  when  she 
found  herself  in  front  of  the  house  designated,  she 
found  it  so  dirty  and  neglected  in  appearance  that 


16  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

she  did  not  feel  like  entering.     She  was  sure  it  would 
not  suit  her. 

Next  she  went  to  Leroy  Street.  Here  she  found  a 
neat-looking  three-story  brick  house. 

She  rang  the  bell. 

"  You  advertise  a  room  to  let,"  she  said  to  the  ser 
vant ;  "can  I  look  at  it?" 

"  I'll  speak  to  the  missis,"  said  the  girl. 

Soon  a  portly  lady  made  her  appearance. 

"You  have  a  room  to  let?"  said  Miss  Manning, 
interrogatively. 

"  Yes." 

"Can  I  look  at  it?" 

"  It's  for  a  gentleman,"  said  the  landlady.  "  I  don't 
take  ladies.  Besides,  it's  rather  expensive  ; "  and  she 
glanced  superciliously  at  the  plain  attire  of  the  seam 
stress. 

Of  course  there  was  no  more  to  be  said.     So  Miss 
Manning  and  Rose  found  their  way  into  the  stree 
once  more. 

The  last  on  the  list  was  Christopher  Street. 

"  Come,  Rose.     Are  you  tired  of  walking? " 


IRE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  17 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  the  child ;  "  I  can  walk  ever  so  far 
without  getting  tired." 

Christopher  Street  is  only  three  blocks  from  Leroy. 
In  less  than  ten  minutes  they  found  themselves 
before  the  house  advertised.  It  was  a  fair-looking 
house,  but  the  seamstress  found,  on  inquiry,  that  the 
room  was  a  large  one  on  the  second  floor,  and  that 
the  rent  would  be  beyond  her  means.  She  was  now 
at  the  end  of  her  list. 

"  I  think,  Rose,"  she  said,  "  we  will  go  to  Wash 
ington  Square,  and  sit  down  on  one  of  the  seats.  I 
shall  have  to  look  over  the  paper  again." 

This  square  is  a  park  of  considerable  size,  com 
prising  very  nearly  ten  acres.  Up  to  1832,  it  had 
been  for  years  used  as  a  Potter's  Field,  or  public 
cemetery,  and  it  is  estimated  that  more  than  one  hun 
dred  thousand  bodies  were  buried  there.  But  in  1832 
it  became  a  park.  There  is  a  basin  and  a  fountain  in 
the  centre,  and  it  is  covered  with  trees  of  considerable 
size.  At  frequent  intervals  there  are  benches  for  the 
accommodation  of  those  who  desire  to  pass  an  hour 
i>r  two  in  the  shade  of  the  trees.  In  the  afternoon. 
2 


18  EUFUS  AND  ROSE;  07?, 

particularly,  may  be  seen  a  large  number  of  children 
playing  in  the  walks,  and  nurse-maids  drawing  their 
young  charges  in  carriages,  or  sitting  with  them  on 
the  seats. 

Rose  was  soon  busied  in  watching  the  sports  of 
some  children  of  her  own  age,  while  Miss  Manning 
carefully  scanned  the  advertisements.  But  she  found 
nothing  to  reward  her  search.  At  length  her 
attention  was  drawn  to  the  following  advertise 
ment  :  — 

"No.  — ,  Waverley  Place.  Two  small  rooms. 
Terms  reasonable." 

"  That  must  be  close  by,"  thought  the  seamstress. 

She  was  right,  for  Waverley  Place,  commencing  at 
Broadway,  runs  along  the  northern  side  of  Wash 
ington  Square.  Before  the  up-town  movement  com 
menced,  it  was  a  fashionable  quarter,  and  even  now, 
as  may  be  inferred  from  the  character  of  the  houses, 
is  a  very  nice  and  respectable  street,  particularly  that 
part  which  fronts  the  "square. 

Miss  Manning  could  see  the  number  mentioned 
from  where  she  was  seated,  and  sav  at  a  glance  that 
It  was  a  nice  house.  Of  course  it  was  beyond  hei 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  19 

means,  —  she  said  that  to  herself;  still,  prompted  by 
an  impulse  which  she  did  not  attempt  to  resist,  she 
determined  to  call  and  make  inquiries  about  the 
rooms  advertised. 


20  RUFUS  AND  ROSE; 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   HOUSE    IN   WAVERLET   PLACE. 

LEAVING  the  Park,  Miss  Manning  crossed  the 
street,  went  up  the  front  steps  of  a  handsome  house, 
and  rang  the  bell. 

"  What  a  nice  house  ! "  said  Rose,  admiringly  ; 
"  are  we  going  to  live  here  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  think  we  can  afford  it ;  but  I  will  ask 
to  see  the  rooms." 

Soon  the  door  was  opened,  and  a  servant-girl 
looked  at  them  inquiringly. 

"  Can  I  see  the  rooms  you  have  to  let?"  asked  the 
seamstress. 

"  Step  in  a  moment,  and  I'll  call  Mrs.  Clayton." 

They  stepped  into  a  hall,  and  remained  waiting  till 
a  woman  of  middle  age,  with  a  pleasant  countenance, 
came  up  from  below,  where  she  had  been  superintend 
ing  the  servants. 

"  I  saw  your  advertisement  of  rooms  to  let,"  com- 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AXD   READY.  21 

menccd  Miss  Manning,  a  little  timidly,  for  she  knew 
that  the  house  was  a  finer  one  than  with  her  limited 
means  she  could  expect  to  enter,  and  felt  a  little  like 
a  humbug. 

"  Yes,  I  have  two  small  rooms  vacant." 

"Are  they  —  expensive?"  asked  the  seamstress; 
with  hesitation. 

"  I  ought  to  say  that  only  one  is  at  my  disposal," 
said  the  landlady ;  "  and  that  is  a  hall  bedroom  on 
the  third  floor  back.  The  other  is  a  square  room, 
nicely  furnished,  on  the  upper  floor,  large  enough  for 
two.  But  last  evening,  after  I  had  sent  in  the  adver 
tisement,  Mrs.  Colman,  who  occupies  my  second 
floor  front,  told  me  she  intended  to  get  a  young  lady 
to  look  after  her  two  little  girls  during  the  day,  and 
teach  them,  and  would  wish  her  to  occupy  the  larger 
room.  I  thought  when  I  first  saw  you  that  you  were 
going  to  apply  for  the  situation." 

A  sudden  thought  came  to  Miss  Manning.  Why 
could  she  not  undertake  this  office?  It  would  pay 
her  much  better  than  sewing,  and  the  children  would 
I  e  companions  for  Rose. 

"  How  old  are  the  little  girls  ?  "  she  said. 


22  RUFUS  AXD  ROSE;  OR, 

"  One  is  fivre,  the  other  seven,  yefirs  old.  Mrs, 
Colman  is  an  invalid,  and  does  not  feel  able  to  have 
the  children  with  her  all  the  time." 

"  Is  Mrs.  Colman  at  home  ?  " 

"  Yes.    Would  you  like  to  see  her  ?  " 

"  I  should.  I  am  fond  of  children,  and  I  might  be 
willing  to  undertake  the  charge  of  hers,  if  she 
thought  fit  to  intrust  them  to  me." 

"  I  think  it  quite  likely  you  can  come  to  an  agree 
ment.  She  was  wondering  this  morning  where  she 
could  hear  of  a  suitable  person.  Wait  here  a 
moment,  and  I  will  go  and  speak  to  her." 

Mrs.  Clayton  went  upstairs,  and  returned  shortly. 

"  Mrs.  Colman  would  like  to  see  you,"  she  said. 
"I  will  lead  the  way." 

Miss  Manning  followed  the  landlady  upstairs,  and. 
was  ushered  into  a  large,  handsomely  furnished  room 
on  the  second  floor.  There  was  a  cheerful  fire  in  the 
grate,  and  beside  it,  in  an  easy-chair,  sat  a  lady, 
looking  nervous  and  in  delicate  health.  Two  little 
girls,  who  seemed  full  of  the  health  and  vitality 
which  their  mother  lacked,  were  romping  noisily  on 
the  floor. 


TflE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.  23 

"Mrs.   Colinan,"  said  the  landlady,  "this  is  the 
young  lady  I  spoke  of." 

"  Take  a  seat,  please,"  said  Mrs.  Colman,  politely* 

"I  am  an  invalid  as  you  see,  Mrs. ?"  here  she 

looked  up  inquiringly. 

"  Miss  Manning,"  said  the  seamstress. 

" Then  the  little  girl  is  not  yours?" 

"  Not  mine ;  but  I  have  the  care  of  her,  as  hei 
mother  is  dead." 

"How  old  is  she?" 

"  Eight." 

l%  A  little  older  than  my  Jennie.    Are  you  fond  of 
children,  Miss  Manning?" 

"  Very  much  so." 

"  I  am  looking  for  some  one  who  will  look  after 
my  little  girls  during  the  day,  and  teach  them.  At 
present  they  know  absolutely  nothing,  and  I  have 
not  been  willing  to  send  them  out  of  the  house  to 
school.  What  I  have  been  thinking  is,  of  securing 
some  one  who  would  live  in  the  house,  and  take  the 
care  of  the  children  off  my  hands.  I  am  an  invalid, 
as  you  see,  and  sometimes  their  noise  absolutely  clis 
tracts  me." 


24  RUFUS  A*J>  ROSE;  OR, 

Miss  Manning  was  struck  with  pity,  as  she  noticed 
the  pale,  nervous  face  of  the  invalid. 

"  Then  the  children  need  to  go  out  and  take  a  walk 
every  day;  but  I  have  no  one  to  send  with  them. 
You  wouldn't  object  to  that,  would  you?" 

"  No,  I  should  like  it." 

"  Could  you  come  soon?" 

"  I  could  come  to-morrow,  if  you  desire  it,"  said 
Miss  Manning,  promptly. 

"  I  wish  you  would.  I  have  a  nervous  headache 
which  will  last  me  some  days,  I  suppose,  and  the 
children  can't  keep  still.  I  suppose  it  is  their  nature 
to  be  noisy." 

"  I  can  take  them  out  for  an  hour  now,  if  you  like 
it,  Mrs.  Colman.  It  would  give  me  a  chance  to  get 
acquainted." 

"  Would  you  ?  It  would  be  quite  a  relief  to  me, 
and  to  them  too.  Oh,  there  is  one  thing  we  must 
speak  of.  "What  compensation  will  satisfy  you?" 

"  I  don't  know  how.  much  I  ought  to  ask.  I  am 
willing  to  leave  that  matter  to  3*011." 

"  You  would  want  your  little  girl  to  live  with  you, 
I  suppose." 


TUB   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.  25 

"  Yes,  she  needs  me  to  look  after  her." 

"Very  well.  Then  I  will  pay  Mrs.  Clayton  foi 
the  board  of  both  of  you,  and  if  two  dollars  a  week 
would  satisfy  you  —  " 

Would  satisfy  her?  Miss  Manning's  breath  was 
quite  taken  away  at  the  magnificent  prospect  that 
opened  before  her.  She  could  hardly  conceive  it  pos 
sible  that  her  services  were  worth  a  home  in  so  nice  a 
house  and  two  dollars  a  week  besides.  Why,  toiling 
early  and  late  at  her  needle,  she  had  barely  earned 
hitherto,  thirty-seven  cents  a  day,  and  out  of  that  all 
her  expenses  had  to  be  paid.  Now  she  would  still  be 
able  to  sew  while  the  children  were  learning  their  les 
sons.  She  would  no  longer  be  the  occupant  of  a  mis 
erable  tenement  house,  but  would  live  in  a  nice 
quarter  of  the  city.  She  felt  devoutly  thankful  for 
the  change ;  but,  on  the  whole,  considered  that  per 
haps  it  was  not  best  to  let  Mrs.  Colman  see  just  how 
glad  she  was.  So  she  simply  expressed  herself  as 
entirely  satisfied  with  the  terms  that  were  offered. 
Mrs.  Colman  seemed  glad  that  this  matter  had  been 
00  easily  arranged. 

"  Mrs.  Clayton  will  show  you  the  room  you  are  to 


26  KUFUS   AND  ROSE.,    OR, 

occupy,"  she  said.  "  I  have  not  been  into  it,  but  1 
understand  that  it  is  very  comfortable.  If  there  is 
any  addition  in  the  way  of  furnitdre  which  you  may 
require,  I  will  make  it  at  my  own  expense." 

"  Thank  you.    You  are  very  kind." 

Here  Mrs.  Clayton  reappeared,  and,  at  the  request 
of  Mrs.  Colman,  offered  to  show  them  the  room  which 
they  were  to  occupy. 

"It  is  on  the  upper  floor,"  she  said,  apologeti 
cally  ;  "  but  it  is  of  good  size  and  pleasant,  when 
you  get  to  it." 

She  led  the  way  into  the  room.  It  was,  as  she  had 
said,  a  pleasant  one,  well  lighted,  and  of  good  size. 
A  thick  woollen  carpet  covered  the  floor ;  there  were  a 
bureau,  a  clothes-press,  a  table,  and  other  articles 
needful  to  make  it  comfortable.  After  the  poor  room 
they  had  occupied,  it  looked  very  attractive. 

"  I  think  I  shall  like  it,"  said  Miss  Manning,  with 
satisfaction. 

"Are  we  to  live  here?"  asked  Rose,  who  had  not 
quite  understood  the  nature  of  the  arrangement. 

"  Yes,  Rosy ;  do  you  think  you  shall  like  it?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  ever  so  much.     When  are  we  coining ?M 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.  27 

"  To-morrow  morning.  You  will  have  two  little 
girls  to  play  with." 

"  The  little  girls  I  saw  in  that  lady's  room  down 
stairs?" 

"  Yes.     Do  you  think  you  shall  like  it  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  will  be  very  nice,"  said  Rose,  with  sat 
isfaction. 

"Well,  how  do  you  like  the  room,  Miss  Man 
ning?"  said  Mrs.  Colman,  when  they  had  returned 
from  upstairs. 

"  It  looks  very  pleasant.  I  have  no  doubt  I  shall 
like  it." 

"  I  think  you  will  need  a  rocking-chair  and  a  sofa. 
I  will  ask  Mr.  Colman  to  step  into  some  upholsterer's 
as  he  goes  down  town  to-morrow,  and  send  them  up. 
If  it  wouldn't  be  too  much  trouble,  Miss  Manning,  I 
will  ask  you  to  help  Carrie  and  Jennie  on  with  their 
hats  and  cloaks.  They  quite  enjoy  the  thought  of  a 
run  oat  of  doors  with  you  and  your  little  girl.  By 
che  way,  what  is  her  name  ?  " 

"  Rose." 

"  A  very  pretty  name.    I  have  no  doubt  the  three 


28  RUFUS  AND  EOSE;  ou, 

children  will  soon  become  excellent  friends.  She 
seems  a  nice  little  girl." 

"  Rose  is  a  nice  little  girl,"  said  the  seamstress, 
affectionately. 

In  a  short  time  they  were  on  their  way  downstairs. 
In  the  hall  below  they  met  the  landlady  once  more. 

"  What  is  the  price  of  your  hall  bedroom,  Mrs. 
Clayton?"  asked  Miss  Manning. 

"  Five  dollars  and  a  half  a  week,"  was  the  answer. 

It  needs  to  be  mentioned  that  this  was  in  the  day 
of  low  prices,  and  that  such  an  apartment  now,  with 
board,  would  cost  at  least  twelve  dollars  a  week. 

"What  made  you  ask,  Miss  Manning?"  said 
Rose. 

"  I  was  thinking  that  perhaps  Rufus  might  like  to 
take  it." 

"  Oh,  I  wish  he  would,"  said  Rose ;  "  then  we 
would  all  be  together." 

"  We  are  speaking  of  her  brother,"  said  Miss  Man- 
oing,  turning  to  Mrs.  Clayton. 

"How  old  is  he?" 

"  Fifteen." 

"  Is  he  at  school,  or  in  a  place?" 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  HOUGH   AND   READY.  29 

u  He  is  in  a  broker's  office  in  Wall  Street." 

"  Then,  as  he  is  the  little  girl's  brother,  I  will  saj? 
only  five  dollars  a  week  for  the  room." 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Clayton.  I  will  let  you  know 
what  he  decides  upon  to-morrow." 

They  went  out  to  walk,  going  as  far  as  Union 
Square,  where  Miss  Manning  sat  down  on  a  bench, 
and  let  the  children  sport  at  will.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  they  very  soon  got  well  acquainted,  and, 
after  an  hour  and  a  half,  which  their  bright  eyes  tes 
tified  to  their  having  enjoyed,  Miss  Manning  carried 
the  little  Colmans  back  to  Waverley  Place,  and,  with 
Rose,  took  the  ho~se-cars  back  to  their  old  home.  . 

"  Won't  Rufie  be  surprised  when  he  hears  about 
it?"  said  Rose. 

"  Yes,  Rosy,  I  think  he  will,"  said  Miss  Manning. 


30  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  on. 


CHAPTER  III. 

JAMES  MARTIN'S  VICISSITUDES. 

WHILE  Miss  Manning  is  seeking  a  new  boarding- 
place  for  herself  and  Rose,  events  are  taking  place  in 
Brooklyn  which  claim  our  attention.  It  is  here  that 
James  Martin,  the  shiftless  and  drunken  step-father 
of  Rufus  and  Rose,  has  made  a  temporary  residence. 
He  had  engaged  board  at  the  house  of  a  widow,  Mrs. 
Waters,  and  for  two  or  three  weeks  paid  his  board 
regularly,  being  employed  at  his  trade  of  a  carpenter 
on  some  houses  going  up  near  by.  But  it  was  not  in 
James  Martin's  nature  to  work  steadily  at  anything. 
His  love  of  drink  had  spoiled  a  once  good  and  indus 
trious  workman,  and  there  seemed  to  be  little  chance 
of  any  permanent  improvement  in  his  character  or 
habits.  For  a  time  Rufus  used  to  pay  him  over  daily 
the  most  of  his  earnings  as  a  newsboy,  and  with  this 
he  managed  to  live  miserably  enough  without  doing 
much  himself.  Buf  after  a  while  Rufus  became  tired 


TTJK   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.  31 

**  Jris  arrangement,  and  withdrew  himself  and  his 
sister  to  another  part  of  the  town,  thus  throwing 
Martin  on  his  own  resources.  Out  of  spite  Martin 
contrived  to  kidnap  Rose,  but,  as  we  have  seen,  her 
brother  had  now  succeeded  in  recovering  her. 

After  losing  Rose,  Martin  took  the  way  back  to 
his  boarding-house,  feeling  rather  doubtful  of  his  re 
ception  from  Mrs.  Waters,  to  whom  he  was  owing  a 
week's  board,  which  he  was  quite  unable  to  pay.  He 
had  told  her  that  he  would  pay  the  bill  as  soon  as  he 
could  exchange  a  fifty-dollar  note,  which  it  is  need 
less  to  say  was  only  an  attempt  at  deception,  since 
he  did  not  even  possess  fifty  cents. 

On  entering  the  house,  he  went  at  once  to  his 
room,  and  lay  down  on  the  bed  till  the  supper-bell 
rang.  Then  he  came  down,  and  took  his  place  at  the 
table  with  the  rest  of  the  boarders. 

"Where's  your  little  girl,  Mr.  Martin?"  inquired 
Mrs.  Waters,  missing  Rose. 

"  She's  gone  on  a  visit  to  some  of  her  relations  in 

0 

New  York,"  answered  Martin,  with  some  degree  of 
truth. 

"  How  long  is  she  to  stay?" 


32  KUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/?, 

"  'Till  she  can  have  some  new  clothes  made  up ; 
maybe  two  or  three  weeks." 

"That's  rather  sudden,  isn't  it?  You  didn't  think 
of  her  going  this  morning  ?  " 

u  No,"  answered  Martin,  with  his  mouth  full  of 
toast ;  "  but  she  teased  so  hard  to  go,  I  let  her. 
She's  a  troublesome  child.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have 
the  care  of  her  off  my  mind  for  a  time." 

This  might  be  true ;  but  Mrs.  Waters  was  begin 
ning  to  lose  confidence  in  Mr.  Martin's  statements. 
She  felt  that  it  was  the  part  of  prudence  to  make  sure 
of  the  money  he  was  alread}T  owing  her,  and  then  on 
some  pretext  get  rid  of  him. 

When  supper  was  over,  Martin  rose,  and  was 
about  to  go  out,  but  Mrs.  Waters  was  too  quick  for 
him. 

"  Mr.  Martin,"  she  said,  "  may  I  speak  to  you  a 
moment  ?  " 

"Yes,  ma'am,"  answered  Martin,  turning  reluc 
tantly. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  ready  to  pay  my  bill ;  I  need 
the  money  particularly." 

"  I'll  pay  it  to-morrow,  Mrs.  Waters." 


THE   FORTUNES    OP   ROUGH  AND   READY.  83 

"  You  promised  to  pay  me  as  soon  as  you  changed 
a  bill,  and  this  morning  you  £aid  you  should  have  a 
chance  to  change  it,  as  you  were  going  to  buy  your 
httle  girl  some  new  clothes." 

u  I  know  I  did,"  said  Martin,  feeling  cornered. 

"  I  suppose,  therefore,  you  can  pay  me  the  money 
to-night,"  said  Mrs.  Waters,  sharply. 

"  Why,  the  fact  is,  Mrs.  Waters,"  said  Martin, 
awkwardly,  "  I  was  very  unfortunate.  As  I  was  sit 
ting  in  the  horse-car  coming  home,  I  had  my  pocket 
picked  of  all  the  money  I  got  in  change.  There  was 
some  over  forty  dollars." 

"  I'm  sorry,"  said  Mrs.  Waters,  coldly,  for  she  did 
not  believe  a  word  of  this  ;  "  but  I  need  my  money." 

"If  it  hadn't  been  for  that,  I'd  have  paid  you 
to-night." 

"  There's  only  oivC  word  I  have  to  say,  Mr.  Mar 
tin,"  said  the  landlady,  provoked  ;  "  if  you  can't  pay 
me,  you  must  find  another  boarding-place." 

"  I'll  attend  to  it  in  a  day  or  two.  I  guess  I  can 
get  the  money  to-morrow." 

"  If  you  can't  pay  rue  to-night,  you'll  oblige  me  by- 
giving  up  your  room  to-morrow  morning.  I'm  a  poor 


34  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/?, 

widcler,  Mr.  Martin,  and  I  must  look  out  for  number 
one.  I  can't  afford  to  keep  boarders  that  don't  pay 
their  bills." 

There  was  one  portion  of  this  speech  that  set  Mr. 
Martin  to  thinking.  Mrs.  Waters  was  a  widow  —  he 
was  a  widower.  By  marrying  her  he  would  secure  a 
home,  and  the  money  received  from  the  boarders 
would  be  paid  to  him.  He  might  not  be  accepted. 
Still  it  would  do  no  harm  to  try. 

'<  Mrs.  "Waters,"  he  said,  abruptly,  wreathing  his 
features  into  what  he  considered  an  attractive  smile, 
"  since  I  lost  my  wife  I've  been  feeling  very  lonely. 
I  need  a  wife  to  look  after  me  and  my  little  gal.  If 
you  will  marry  me,  we'll  live  happy,  and  —  " 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Martin,"  said  Mrs.  Waters,  con 
siderably  astonished  at  the  sudden  turn  affairs  had 
taken  ;  "  but  I've  got  too  much  to  do  to  think  about 
marrying.  Leastways,  I  don't  care  about  marrying  a 
man  that  can't  pay  his  board-bill." 

"  Just  as  you  say,"  answered  Martin,  philosophi 
cally  ;  "  I've  give  you  a  good  chance.  Perhaps  you 
won't  get  another  very  soon." 

"Well,  if  there  isn't  impudence  for  you!"  ejacu- 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  35 

lated  Mrs.  Waters,  as  her  boarder  left  the  room.  "  I 
must  be  hard  up  for  a  husband,  to  marry  such  a  shift 
less  fellow  as  he  is." 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Martin  made  his  appeal 
ance,  as  usual,  at  the  breakfast-table.  Notwithstand 
ing  his  proposal  of  marriage  had  been  so  decidedly 
rejected  the  day  before,  his  appetite  was  not  only  as 
good  as  usual,  but  considerably  better.  In  fact,  as 
he  was  not  quite  clear  where  his  dinner  was  to  come 
from,  or  whether,  indeed,  he  should  have  any  at  all, 
he  thought  it  best  to  lay  in  sufficient  to  last  him  for 
several  hours.  Mrs.  Waters  contemplated  with  dis 
may  the  rapid  manner  in  which  he  disposed  of  the 
beefsteak  and  hash  which  constituted  the  principal 
dishes  of  her  morning  meal,  and  decided  that  the 
sooner  she  got  rid  of  such  a  boarder  the  better. 

Mr.  Martin  observed  the  eyes  of  the  landlady  fixed 
upon  him,  and  misinterpreted  it.  He  thought  it  pos 
sible  she  might  have  changed  her  mind  as  to  the 
refusal  of  the  day  before,  and  resolved  to  renew  his 
proposal.  Accordingly  he  lingered  tilJ  the  rest  of 
the  boarders  had  left  the  table. 


36  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  Mrs.  Waters,"  he  said,  "  maybe  you've  changed 
your  mind  since  yesterday." 

"About  what?"  demanded  the  landlady,  sharply. 

"  About  marrying  me." 

"No,  I  haven't,"  answered  the  widow;  "you 
needn't  mention  the  matter  again.  When  I  want  to 
marry  you,  I'll  send  and  let  you  know." 

"  All  right ! "  said  Martin ;  "  there's  several  after 
me,  but  I'll  wait  a  week  for  you." 

"Oh,  don't  trouble  yourself,"  said  the  landlady, 
sarcastically ;  "I  don't  want  to  disappoint  anybody 
else.  Can  you  pay  me  this  morning  ?  " 

"  I'll  have  the  money  in  a  day  or  two." 

"You  needn't  come  back  to  dinner  unless  you 
bring  the  money  to  pay  your  bill.  I  can't  afford  to 
give  you  your  board." 

Mr.  Martin  rose  and  left  the  house,  understanding 
pretty  clearly  that  he  couldn't  return.  On  reaching 
the  street,  he  opened  his  pocket-book,  and  ascer 
tained  that  twelve  cents  were  all  it  contained.  This 
small  amount  was  not  likely  to  last  very  long.  He 
decided  to  go  to  New  York,  having  no  further  in 
ducements  to  keep  h:m  in  Brooklyn.  Some/-Mng 


i_J J 


*  - 

,1         3 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  EOUGH  AND   READY.  37 

might  turn  up,  he  reasoned,  in  the  shiftless  mannei 
characteristic  of  him. 

Jumping  upon  a  passing  car,  he  rode  clown  to  Ful 
ton  Ferry,  and  crossed  in  the  boat  to  the  New  York 
side,  thus  expending  for  travelling  expenses  eight 
cents. 

Supposing  that  Rufus  still  sold  papers  in  front  of 
the  "  Tribune"  office,  he  proceeded  to  Printing  House 
Square,  and  looked  around  for  him ;  but  he  was  no 
where  to  be  seen. 

"  Who  you  lookin'  for,  gov'nor  ?  "  inquired  a  boot 
black,  rather  short  of  stature,  but  with  an  old-looking 
face. 

"Aint  you  the  boy  that  went  home  with  me 
Wednesday  ?  "  asked  Martin,  to  whom  Ben  Gibson's 
face  looked  familiar. 

"S'posin'I  am?" 

"  Have  you  seen  a  newsboy  they  call  Rough  and 
Ready,  this  morning  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  seed  him." 

"  Where  is  he  ?     Has  he  sold  all  his  papers  ?  " 

"  He's  giv'  up  sellin'  papers,  and  gone  into  busi 
ness  on  Wall  Street." 


38  RUFUS   AND   ROSE,    OK, 

"  Don't  you  try  to  fool  me,  or  I'll  give  you  a  lick- 
in',"  said  Martin,  sternly. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  kind  offer,"  said  Ben,  "  bul 
lickings  don't  agree  with  my  constitution  " 

"  Why  don't  you  tell  me  the  truth  then?" 

"  I  did." 

"  You  said  Rufus  had  gone  into  business  in  Wali 
Street." 

"So  he  has.  A  rich  cove's  taken  a  fancy  to  him, 
and  adopted  him  as  a  office-boy." 

"  How  much  does  he  pay  him?  "  asked  Martin,  con 
sidering  whether  there  would  be  any  chance  of  get 
ting  some  money  out  of  his  step-son. 

"  Not  knowin'  can't  say,"  replied  Ben  ;  "  but  he's 
just  bought  two  pocket-books  to  hold  his  wages  in." 

"  You're  a  humbug ! "  said  Martin,  indignantly. 
"  What's  the  man's  name  he  works  for?  " 

"  It's  painted  in  big  letters  on  the  sign.  You  can't 
miss  it." 

James  Martin  considered,  for  an  instant,  whether 
it  would  be  best  to  give  Ben  a  thrashing,  but  the 
approach  of  a  policeman  led  him  to  decide  in  the 
negative. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.     39 

"Shine  yer  boots,  goVnor?"  asked  Ben,  pro 
fessionally. 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  rather  unexpectedly. 

"  Payment  in  advance ! "  said  Ben,  who  didn't 
think  it  prudent  to  trust  in  this  particular  instance. 

"  I'll  tell  yer  what,"  said  Martin,  to  whom  neces 
sity  had  taught  a  certain  degree  of  cunning,  "  if 
you'll  lend  me  fifty  cents  for  a  week,  I'll  let  you 
shine  my  boots  every  day,  and  pay  you  the  money 
besides." 

u  That's  a  very  kind  proposal,"  said  Ben ;  "  but 
I've  just  invested  all  my  money  on  a  country-seat 
up  the  river,  which  makes  me  rather  short." 

"  Then  you  can't  lend  me  the  fifty? " 

"  No,  but  I'll  tell  you  where  you  can  get  it." 

"Where?" 

"  Up  in  Chatham  Street.  There's  plenty'll  lend  it 
on  the  security  of  that  hat  of  yours." 

The  hat  in  question  was  in  the  last  stages  of  dilapi 
dation,  looking  as  if  it  had  been  run  over  daily  by 
an  omnibus,  and  then  used  to  fill  the  place  of  a 
broken  pane,  being  crushed  out  of  all  shape  and 
comeliness. 


40  EUFUS  AND  ROSE;  ox, 

Martin  aimed  a  blow  at  Ben,  but  the  boot-black 
dexterously  evaded  it,  and,  slinging  his  box  over  his 
back,  darted  down  Nassau  Street. 

Later  in  the  day  he  met  Rough  and  Ready. 

"  I  see  the  gov'nor  this  mornm',"  said  Ben. 

uWhat,  Mr.  Martin?" 

"  Yes." 

"  What  did  he  say?" 

"He  inquired  after  you  in  the  most  affectionate 
manner,  and  wanted  to  know  where  you  was  at  work." 

"  I  hope  you  didn't  tell  him." 

"  Not  if  I  know  myself.  I  told  him  he'd  see  the 
name  on  the  sign.  Then  he  wanted  to  borrow  fifty 
cents  for  a  week." 

Rufus  laughed. 

"  It's  a  good  investment,  Ben.  I've  invested  con 
siderable  money  that  way.  I  suppose  you  gave  him 
the  money  ?  " 

"  Maybe  I  did.  He  offered  me  the  chance  of  black 
ing  his  boots  every  day  for  a  week,  if  I'd  lend  him 
the  money  ;  but  I  had  to  resign  the  glorious  privilege, 
not  havin'  been  to  the  bank  this  mornin'  to  withdraw 
ray  deposits." 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  41 

"  You  talk  like  a  banker,  Ben." 

"  I'm  goin'  to  bankin'  some  day,  when  boot-black 
ing  gets  dull." 

Ben  Gibson  had  been  for  years  a  boot-black,  hav 
ing  commenced  the  business  when  only  eight  years 
old.  His  life  had  been  one  of  hardship  and  privation, 
as  street  life  always  is,  but  he  had  become  toughened 
to  it,  and  bore  it  with  a  certain  stoicism,  never  corn- 
plaining,  but  often  joking  in  a  rude  way  at  what 
would  have  depressed  and  discouraged  a  more  sen 
sitive  temperament.  He  was  by  no  means  a  model 
boy,  though  not  as  bad  as  many  of  his  class.  He 
had  learned  to  smoke  and  to  swear,  and  did  both 
freely.  But  there  was  a  certain  rude  honesty  about 
him  which  led  Rufus,  though  in  every  way  his 
superior,  to  regard  him  with  friendly  interest,  and 
he  had,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  been  of  consid 
erable  service  to  our  hero  in  his  newsboy  days. 
Rufus  had  tried  to  induce  him  to  give  up  smoking, 
but  thus  far  without  success. 

"It  keeps  a  feller  warm,"  he  said;  "besides  it 
won't  hurt  me  I'm  tough." 


42  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  oit9 


CHAPTER    IV. 

HOW  JAMES   MARTIN   CAME   TO    &RIEF. 

AFTER  parting  with  Ben  Gibson,  James  Martin 
crossed  the  street  to  the  City  Hall  Park,  and  sat 
down  on  one  of  the  wooden  benches  placed  there  for 
the  public  accommodation.  Neither  his  present  cir 
cumstances  nor  his  future  prospects  were  very  bril 
liant.  He  was  trying  to  solve  the  great  problem 
which  has  troubled  so  many  lazy  people,  of  how  best 
to  live  without  work.  There  are  plenty  of  men,  not 
only  in  our  cities,  but  in  country  villages,  who  are 
at  work  upon  this  same  problem,  but  few  solve  it 
to  their  satisfaction.  Martin  was  a  good  carpenter, 
and  might  have  earned  a  respectable  and  comfortable 
livelihood,  instead  of  wandering  about  the  streets  in 
ragged  attire,  without  a  roof  to  shelter  him,  or  money 
to  pay  for  a  decent  meal. 

As  he  sat  on  the  bench,  a  cigar-boy  passed  him, 
with  a  box  of  cigars  under  his  arm. 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  43 

'•  Cigars,"  he  cried,  "  four  for  ten  cents  !  " 

"Come  here,  boy,"  said  Martin.  The  boy  ap 
proached. 

"  I  want  a  cigar." 

"  I  don't  sell  one.     Four  for  ten  cents." 

Martin  would  willingly  have  bought  four,  but  as 
his  available  funds  amounted  only  to  four  cents, 
this  was  impossible. 

"  I  don't  want  but  one  ;  I've  only  got  four  cents  in 
change,  unless  you  can  change  a  ten-dollar  bill." 

"  I  can't  do  that." 

"Here,  take  three  cents,  and  give  me  a  prime 
cigar." 

"  I'll  sell  you  one  for  four  cents." 

"  Hand  over,  then." 

So  Martin  found  himself  penniless,  but  the  pos 
sessor  of  a  cigar,  which  he  proceeded  to  smoke  with 
as  much  apparent  enjojonent  as  if  he  had  a  large  bal 
ance  to  his  credit  at  the  bank. 

He  remained  in  the  Park  till  his  cigar  was  entirely 
smoked,  and  then  sauntered  out  with  no  definite 
object  in  view.  It  occurred  to  him,  however,  that  he 


44  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

might  as  well  call  on  the  keeper  of  a  liquor  saloon  on 
Baxter  Street,  which  he  had  frequently  patronized. 

"How  are  you,  Martin?"  asked  "  Jim,"  that  being 
the  name  by  which  the  proprietor  was  generally 
known. 

"  Dry  as  a  fish,"  was  the  suggestive  reply. 

"Then  you've  come  to  the  right  shop.  What'll 
you  have?" 

Martin  expressed  his  desire  for  a  glass  of  whiskey, 
which  was  poured  out,  and  hastily  gulped  down. 

"  I'm  out  of  stamps,"  said  Martin,  coolly.  "  J 
s'pose  you'll  trust  me  till  to-morrow." 

"Why  didn't  you  say  you  hadn't  any  money?" 
demanded  Jim,  angrily. 

"  Come,"  said  Martin,  "  don't  be  hard  on  an  old 
friend.  I'll  pay  you  to-morrow." 

"  Where'll  the  money  come  from?  "  demanded  Jim, 
suspiciously. 

This  was  a  question  which  Martin  was  quite  unable 
to  answer  satisfactorily  to  himself.  , 

"  I'll  get  it  some  way,"  he  answered. 

"  You'd  better,  or  else  you  needn't  come  into  this 
shop  again." 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.  45 

Martin  left  the  saloon  rather  disappointed.  He 
had  had  a  little  idea  of  asking  a  small  loan  from  his 
friend  "  Jim  ; "  but  he  judged  that  such  an  application 
would  hardly  be  successful  under  present  circum 
stances.  "  Jim's "  friendship  evidently  was  not 
strong  enough  to  justify  such  a  draft  upon  it. 

Martin  began  to  think  that  it  might  have  been  as 
well,  on  the  whole,  to  seek  employment  at  his  trade 
ir,  Brooklyn,  for  a  time  at  least,  until  he  could  have 
accumulated  a  few  dollars.  It  was  rather  uncom 
fortable  being  entirely  without  money,  and  thai  was 
precisely  his  present  condition.  Even  if  he  had 
wanted  to  go  back  to  Brooklyn,  he  had  not  even  the 
two  cents  needed  to  pay  the  boat  fare.  Matters  had 
come  to  a  crisis  with  Martin  financially,  and  a  sus 
pension  of  specie  payments  was  forced  upon  him. 

He  continued  to  walk  about  the  streets  in  that  aim 
less  way  which  results  from  absence  of  occupation, 
and  found  it,  on  the  whole,  rather  cheerless  work. 
Besidss,  he  was  beginning  to  get  hungry.  He  had 
eaten  a  hearty  breakfast  at  his  boarding-house  in 
Brooklyn,  but  it  was  now  one  o'clock,  and  the  stom 
ach  began  to  assert  its  claims  once  more.  He  had  no 


46  RUFDS  AND   ROSE;    O/£, 

moaey  Still  there  were  places  where  focd,  at  least, 
could  be  had  for  nothing.  He  descended  into  a  sub 
terranean  apartment,  over  the  door  of  which  was  a 
sign  bearing  the  words  FREE  LUNCH. 

As  many  of  my  readers  know,  these  establishments 
are  to  be  found  in  most  of  our  cities.  A  supply  of 
sandwiches,  or  similar  food,  is  provided  free  for  the 
use  of  those  who  enter,  but  visitors  are  expected  to 
call  and  pay  for  one  or  more  glasses  of  liquor,  which 
are  sold  at  such  prices  that  the  proprietor  may,  on 
the  whole,  realize  a  profit. 

It  was  into  one  of  those  places  that  James  Martin 
entered.  He  went  up  to  the  counter,  and  was  about 
to  help  himself  to  the  food  supplied.  After  partaking 
of  this,  he  intended  to  slip  out  without  the  drink, 
having  no  money  to  pay  for  it.  But,  unfortunately 
for  the  success  of  his  plans,  the  keeper  at  the  saloon 
had  been  taken  in  two  or  three  times  already  that 
day  by  similar  impostors.  Still,  had  James  Martin 
been  well-dressed,  he  could  have  helped  himself 
unquestioned  to  the  provisions  he  lesired.  But  his 
appearance  was  suspicious.  His  ragged  and  dirty 
attire  betokened  extreme  poverty,  and  the  man  i* 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  47 

charge  saw,  at  a  glance,  that  his  patronage  was  not 
likely  to  be  desirable. 

"Look  here,  my  friend,"  he  said,  abruptly,  as 
Martin  was  about  to  help  himself,  "  what'll  you  take 
to  drink?" 

"  A  glass  of  ale,"  said  Martin,  hesitatingly. 

"  All  right !     Pass  over  the  money." 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Martin,  "  I  left  my  pocket-book 
at  home  this  morning,  and  that's  why  I'm  obliged  to 
come  in  here." 

"  Very  good !  Then  you  needn't  trouble  yourself 
to  take  anything.  We  don't  care  about  visitors  that 
leave  their  pocket-books  at  home." 

"  I'll  pay  you  double  to-morrow,"  said  Martin,  who 
had  no  hesitation  in  making  promises  he  hadn't  the 
ieast  intention  of  fulfilling. 

"  That  won't  go  down,"  said  the  other.  "  I  don't 
care  about  seeing  such  fellows  as  you  at  any  time. 
There's  the  door." 

uDo  you  want  to  fight?"  demanded  Martin, 
angrily. 

"  No,  I  don't ;  but  I  may  kick  you  out  if  you  don't 


48  RUFUS  AtfD  ROSE;  OR, 

go  peaceably.  We  don't  want  customers  of  your 
sort." 

"  I'll  smash  your  head ! "  said  Martin,  becoming 
pugnacious. 

"  Here,  Mike,  run  up  and  see  if  you  can't  find  a 
policeman." 

This  hint  was  not  lost  upon  Martin.  He  had  no 
great  love  for  the  Metropolitan  police,  and  kept  out 
of  their  way  as  much  as  possible.  He  felt  that  it 
would  be  prudent  to  evacuate  the  premises,  and  did 
so,  muttering  threats  meanwhile,  and  not  without  a 
lingering  glance  at  the  lunch  which  was  not  free  to 
him. 

This  last  failure  rather  disgusted  Martin.  Accord 
ing  to  his  theory,  the  world  owed  him  a  living  ;  but  U 
seemed  as  if  the  world  were  disposed  to  repudiate  tbe 
debt.  Fasting  is  apt  to  lead  to  serious  reflection, 
and  by  this  tune  he  was  decided^  hungry.  How  to 
provide  himself  with  a  dinner  was  a  subject  that  re 
quired  immediate  attention. 

He  walked  about  for  an  hour  or  two  without  find 
ing  himself  at  the  end  of  that  time  any  nearer  the 
solution  of  the  question  than  before.  To  work  aif 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  49 

day  may  be  hard ;  but  to  do  nothing  all  day  on  an 
empty  stomach  is  still  harder. 

About  four  o'clock,  Martin  found  himself  at  the 
junction  of  Wall  Street  and  Nassau.  I  hardly  know 
what  drew  this  penniless  man  to  the  street  through 
which  flows  daily  a  mighty  tide  of  wealth,  but  I  sus 
pect  that  he  was  hoping  to  meet  Rufus,  who,  as  he 
had  learned  from  Ben  Gibson,  was  employed  some 
where  on  the  street.  Rufus  might,  in  spite  of  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  treated  him,  prove  a  truer 
friend  in  need  than  the  worthless  companions  of  his 
hours  of  dissipation. 

All  at  once  a  sharp  cry  of  pain  was  heard. 

A  passing  vehicle  had  run  over  the  leg  of  a  boy 
who  had  imprudently  tried  to  cross  the  street  just  in 
front  of  it.  The  wheels  passed  over  the  poor  boy's 
legs,  both  of  which  appeared  to  be  broken.  Of 
course,  as  is  always  the  case  under  such  circum 
stances,  there  was  a  rush  to  the  spot  where  the  casu 
alty  took  place,  and  a  throng  of  men  and  boys  gath 
ered  about  the  persons  who  were  lifting  the  boy  from 
the  ground. 


50  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OT?, 

k;The  boy  seems  to  be  poor,"  said  a  humane  by* 
fitander  ;  u  let  us  raise  a  little  fund  for  his  benefit." 

A  humane  suggestion  like  this  is  pretty  sure  to  be 
acted  upon  by  those  whose  hearts  are  made  tender  by 
the  sight  of  suffering.  So  most  of  those  present  drew 
out  their  pocket-books,  and  quite  a  little  sum  was 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  original  proposer  of  the 
contribution. 

Among  those  who  had  wedged  themselves  into  the 
crowd  was  James  Martin.  Having  nothing  to  do,  he 
had  been  eager  to  have  his  share  in  the  excitement 
He  saw  the  collection  taken  up  with  an  envious  wish 
that  it  was  for  his  own  benefit.  Beside  him  was  a 
banker,  who,  from  a  plethoric  pocket-book,  had 
drawn  a  five-dollar  bill,  which  he  had  contributed  to 
the  fund.  Closing  the  pocket-book,  he  carelessly 
placed  it  in  an  outside  pocket.  James  Martin  stood 
in  such  a  position  that  the  contents  of  the  pocket 
book  were  revealed  to  him,  and  the  demon  of  cupidity 
entered  his  heart.  How  much  good  this  money 
would  do  him !  There  were  probably  several  hundred 
dollars  in  all,  perhaps  more.  He  saw  the  banker  put 
the  money  in  his  pocket,  —  the  one  nearest  to  him 


THE  FORTUNES  CF  ROUGH  AND  READY.     51 

He  might  easily  take   it  without  observation,  —  so 
he  thought. 

In  an  evil  moment  he  obeyed  the  impulse  which 
had  come  to  him.  He  plunged  his  hand  into  the 
pocket ;  but  at  this  moment  the  banker  turned,  and 
detected  him. 

"  I've  caught  you,  you  rascal ! "  he  exclaimed,  seiz 
ing  Mai-tin  with  a  vigorous  grip.  "  Police ! " 

Martin  made  a  desperate  effort  to  get  free,  but 
another  man  seized  him  on  the  other  side,  and  he  was 
held,  despite  his  resistance,  till  a  policeman,  who  by 
a  singular  chance  happened  to  be  near  when  wanted, 
came  up. 

Martin's  ragged  coat  was  rent  asunder  from  the 
violence  of  his  efforts,  his  hat  fell  off,  and  he  might 
well  have  been  taken  for  a  desperate  chaiacter,  as  in 
this  condition  he  was  marched  off  by  the  guardian  of 
the  city's  peace. 

There  was  another  humiliation  in  store  for  him 
He  had  gone  but  a  few  steps  when  he  met  Rufus,  who 
gazed  in  astonishment  at  his  step-father's  plight. 
Martin  naturally  supposed  that  Rufus  would  exult  in 
his  humiliation  ;  but  he  did  him  injustice. 


52  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  on, 

"I'm  sorry  for  him/*  thought  our  hero,  compas 
sionately  ;  "  he's  done  me  harm  enough,  but  I'm 
sorry." 

He  learned  from  one  of  the  crowd  for  whst  Martin 
had  been  arrested,  and  started  for  Franklin  Street  to 
'•,arry  the  news  to  Miss  Manning  and  Hose. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.  53 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE   LAST   EVENING   IN   FRANKLIN   STREET. 

THOUGH  Rufus  felt  sorry  for  Mr.  Martin's  mis 
fortune,  there  was  at  least  one  satisfaction  connected 
with  it.  He  would  doubtless  be  sent  to  Blackwell's 
Island  for  three  months,  and  of  course  when  there  he 
would  be  unable  to  annoy  Rose,  or  contrive  any  plots 
for  carrying  her  off.  This  would  be  a  great  relief  to 
Rufus,  who  felt  more  than  ever  how  much  the  pres 
ence  of  his  little  sister  contributed  to  his  happiness. 
If  he  was  better  than  the  average  of  the  boys  em 
ployed  like  himself,  it  was  in  a  considerable  measure 
due  to  the  fact  that  he  had  never  been  adrift  in  the 
streets,  but  even  in  the  miserable  home  afforded  by 
his  step-father  had  been  unconsciously  influenced 
towards  good  by  the  presence  of  his  mother,  and 
latterly  by  his  little  sister  Rose.  He,  in  his  turn, 
had  gained  a  salutary  influence  among  the  street 
boys,  who  looked  up  to  him  as  a  leader,  though  that 


54  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  01?, 

leadership  was  gained  in  the  first  place  by  his  physi 
cal  superiority  and  manly  bearing. 

It  occurred  to  him,  that  perhaps,  after  all,  it  might 
not  be  necessary  for  Rose  and  Miss  Manning  to 
move  from  Franklin  Street  at  present,  on  account  of 
Mr.  Martin's  arrest.  He  was  rather  surprised,  when, 
on  entering  the  little  room,  after  hurrying  upstairs 
two  or  three  steps  at  a  time,  he  saw  Miss  Manning's 
trunk  open  and  half  packed,  with  various  articles 
belonging  to  herself  and  Rose  spread  out  beside  it. 

"  Hallo ! "  he  exclaimed,  stopping  short  on  the 
threshold,  "what  are  you  doing?" 

"Getting  ready  to  move,  Rufus,"  answered  the 
seamstress. 

"  So  you've  found  a  place  ?  " 

"  Oh,  such  a  nice  place,  Rufie ! "  chimed  in  little 
Rose  ;  "  there's  a  nice  carpet,  and  there's  going  to  be 
a  sofa,  and  oh,  it's  beautiful ! " 

"  So  you're  going  to  live  in  style,  are  you?"  said 
Rufus.  " But  how  about  the  cost,  Miss  Manning?" 

"  That's  the  pleasantest  part  of  it,"  was  the  reply ; 
"  it  isn't  going  to  cost  me  anything,  and  I  am  to  be 
paid  two  dollars  a  week  besides." 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  55 

Rufus  looked  bewildered. 

"  Can't  I  get  a  chance  there  too?*1  he  asked.  "  I'd 
be  willin'  to  give  'em  the  pleasure  of  my  society  for 
half  a  price,  say  a  dollar  a  week,  besides  a  room." 

"  We  are  to  be  boarded  also,"  said  Miss  Manning, 
tn  a  tone  of  satisfaction. 

"  If  it's  a  conundrum  I'll  give  it  up,"  said  Rufus  ; 
14  just  tell  a  feller  all  about  it,  for  I  begin  to  think 
you're  crazy,  or  else  have  come  across  some  benevo 
lent  chap  that's  rather  loose  in  the  upper  story." 

Hereupon  Miss  Manning,  unwilling  to  keep  Rurus 
longer  in  suspense,  gave  him  a  full  account  of  her 
morning's  adventures,  including  her  engagement  with 
Mrs.  Colman. 

"  You're  in  luck,"  said  Rufus,  "  and  I'm  glad  of 
it ;  but  there's  one  thing  we'll  have  to  settle  about." 

"What's  that?" 

"  About  Rose's  board." 

"  Oh,  that  is  all  settled  already.  Mrs.  Colman  is 
to  pay  for  her  board  as  well  as  mine." 

"  Yes,  I  know  that ;  but  it  is  your  teachin'  that  is 
to  pay  for  it." 

u  Yes,  I  suppose  so." 


56  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  Then  I  must  pay  you  for  her  board,  That  will 
make  it  all  right." 

"  Oh,  no,  Ilufus,  I  couldn't  accept  anything.  You 
see  it  doesn't  cost  me  anything." 

uYes,  it  does,"  persisted  the  newsboy;  "if  it 
wasn't  for  that,  you  would  be  paid  more  money." 

"If  it  wasn't  for  her,  I  should  not  have  applied 
for  board  in  that  place  ;  so  you  see  that  it  is  to  Rose, 
after  all,  that  I  am  indebted  for  the  situation." 

'  I  see  that  you  are  very  kind  to  Rose,  Miss  Man 
ning,  but  I  can't  have  you  pay  for  her  board.  I  am 
her  brother,  and  am  well  and  strong.  I  can  afford  to 
pay  for  Rose,  and  I  will.  Now  how  much  will  it 
be?" 

Miss  Manning  persisted  that  she  was  not  willing 
to  receive  anything;  but  upon  this  point  the  news 
boy's  pride  was  aroused,  and  finally  this  arrange 
ment  was  made  :  Miss  Manning  was  to  receive  three 
dollars  a  week,  and  for  this  sum  she  also  agreed  to 
provide  Rose  with  .proper  clothing,  so  that  Rufus 
would  have  no  responsibility  or  care  about  her.  He 
wanted  the  seamstress  to  accept  four  dollars ;  but 
upon  this  point  she  was  quite  determined.  She  de- 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.  57 

clared  that  three  dollars  was  too  high,  but  finally 
agreed  to  accept  it. 

"  I  don't  want  to  make  money  out  of  Hose,"  she 
said. 

"  It'll  take  some  time  to  get  ahead  of  A.  T.  Stew 
art  on  three  dollars  a  week." 

"  I  shall  have  five  dollars  a  week." 

"But  you  will  have  to  buy  clothes  for  Rose  and 
yourself." 

"  I  shall  make  them  myself,  so  that  they  won't  cost 
me  more  than  half  of  the  money." 

"  Then  you  can  save  up  the  rest." 

uBut  you  will  only  have  five  dollars  left  to  pay 
your  expenses,  Eufus." 

"  Oh,  I  can  get  along.     Don't  mind  me." 

"  But  I  wanted  you  to  come  and  board  with  us. 
Mrs.  Clayton  has  a  hall  bedroom  which  she  would  let 
to  you  with  board  for  five  dollars  a  week.  But  that 
would  leave  you  nothing  for  clothes." 

"  I  could  earn  enough  some  other  way  to  pay  for 
my  clothes,"  said  Rufus ;  "  but  I  don't  know  about 
going  to  board  with  you.  I  expect  it's  a  fashionable 
place,  and  I  shouldn't  know  how  to  behave." 


58  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  You  will  know  hew  to  behave  as  well  as  I  do.  I 
didn't  think  you  were  bashful,  Rufus." 

"  No  more  I  am  in  the  street,"  said  the  newsboy ; 
"  but  you  know  how  I've  lived,  Miss  Manning.  Mr. 
Martin  didn't  live  in  fashionable  style,  and  his 
friends  were  not  very  select.  When  I  took  break 
fast  at  Mr.  Turner's,  I  felt  like  a  cat  in  a  strange 
garret." 

"  Then  it's  time  you  got  used  to  better  society," 
said  Miss  Manning.  "You  want  to  rise  in  the 
world,  don't  you?" 

"  Of  course  I  do." 

"  Then  take  my  advice,  and  come  with  us.  You'll 
soon  get  used  to  it." 

"Maybe  I  will.  I'll  come  round  to-morrow,  and 
see  how  I  like  it." 

u  Remember  you  are  in  business  in  Wall  Street, 
and  ought  to  live  accordingly.  Don't  you  think  Mr. 
Turner  would  prefer  to  have  you  board  in  a  good 
place  rather  than  sleep  at  the  Lodging  House,  with 
out  any  home  of  your  own  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  he  would,"  said  Rufus. 

The  idea  was  a,  new  one  to  him,  but  it  was  by  no 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  59 

means  disagreeable.  He  had  always  been  ambitious 
to  rise,  but  thus  far  circumstances  had  prevented  his 
gratifying  this  ambition.  His  step-father's  drunken 
habits,  and  the  consequent  necessity  he  was  under  of 
contributing  to  his  support  as  well  as  that  of  Rose, 
and  his  mother  when  living,  had  discouraged  him  in 
all  his  efforts,  and  led  him  to  feel  that  all  his  efforts 
were  unavailing.  But  now  his  fortunes  had  ma 
terially  changed.  Now,  for  the  first  time,  there 
seemed  to  be  a  chance  for  him.  He  felt  that  it  was 
best  to  break  off,  as  far  as  possible,  his  old  life,  and 
turn  over  a  new  leaf.  So  the  advice  of  his  friend, 
Miss  Manning,  commended  itself  to  his  judgment, 
and  he  about  made  up  his  mind  to  become  a  boarder 
at  Mrs.  Clayton's.  He  would  have  the  satisfaction 
of  being  in  the  same  house  with  his  little  sister  Rose, 
and  thus  of  seeing  much  more  of  her  than  if  he 
boarded  down  town  at  the  Lodging  House.  It 
would  cost  him  more  to  be  sure,  leaving  him,  as  Miss 
Manning  suggested,  nothirg  for  his  clothes ;  but,  as 
his  duties  in  Wall  Street  did -not  commence  until 
nine  o'clock,  and  terminated  at  five,  he  felt  sure  that 
in  his  leisure  time  he  would  be  able  to  earn  enough 


60  RUFUS   AND   ROSE ;    OR, 

to  meet  this  expense.  Besides,  there  would  be  the 
interest  on  his  five  hundred  dollars,  which  would 
amount  to  not  less  than  thirty  dollars,  and  probably 
more,  for,  with  the  advice  of  Mr.  Turner,  he  was 
about  to  purchase  with  it  some  bank  shares.  Then, 
if  it  should  be  absolutely  necessary,  he  could  break 
in  upon  his  principal,  although  he  would  be  sorry  to 
do  this,  for,  though  he  did  not  expect  to  add  to  it  for 
a  year  to  come,  he  hoped  to  keep  it  at  its  present 
amount. 

These  thoughts  passed  rapidly  through  his  mind, 
and,  when  little  Rose,  taking  his  hand,  said,  plead 
ingly,  "  Do  come  and  live  with  us,  Rufie ! "  he  an 
swered,  "Yes,  Rosy,  I  will,  if  Mrs.  Clayton  will 
make  room  for  me." 

"Oh,  that  will  be  so  nice,  won't  it,  Miss  Man 
ning  ?  "  said  Rose,  clapping  her  hands. 

"  Perhaps  Mr.  Martin  will  come  and  board  with 
us,"  said  Rufus,  jestingly ;  "  wouldn't  you  like  that, 
Rose?" 

"  No,"  said  Rose,  looking  frightened ;  "  do  you 
think  he  will  find  out  where  we  are?" 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  61 

"Not  for  some  time  at  least,"  said  her  brother. 
"By  the  way,  I  saw  him  to-day,  Miss  Manning." 

"  Did  you  speak  with  him,  Rufus?  " 

"  Did  he  try  to  carry  you  off,  Rufie  ?  "  asked  Rose, 
anxiously. 

"  You  forget,  Rose,  that  I  am  rather  too  big  to 
carry  off,"  said  Rufus.  "  No,  he  did  not  say  any 
thing  to  me.  The  fact  is,  he  has  got  into  a  scrape, 
and  has  enough  to  do  to  think  of  himself." 

"  TeU  us  about  it,  Rufus." 

"  I  saw  him,  just  as  I  was  coming  home,  in  the 
hands  of  the  police.  I  heard  that  he  had  tried  to  rob 
a  gentleman  of  his  pocket-book." 

"  What  will  they  do  to  him  ?  " 

u  I  suppose  he  will  be  sent  to  the  Island." 

"•  I  am  sorry  for  him,  though  he  has  not  treated 
you  and  Rose  right." 

*'  Yes,  I  am  sorry  too ;  but  at  any  rate  we  need 
not  feel  anxious  about  his  getting  hold  of  Rose." 

They  had  a  very  pleasant  supper  together.  It  was 
the  last  supper  in  the  old  room,  and  the}r  determined 
that  it  should  be  a  good  one.  Rufus  went  out  and 
got  some  sirloin  steak,  and  brought  in  a  pie  from  the 


62  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o#, 

baker's.  This,  with  what  they  had  already  had, 
made  a  very  nice  supper. 

"  You  won't  have  any  more  cooking  to  do  for  some 
time,  Miss  Manning,"  said  Rufus  ;  "  you'll  be  a  lady, 
with  servants  to  wait  on  you.  I  hope  the  two  little 
girls  won't  give  you  much  trouble.  If  they  do,  that 
might  be  harder  work  than  sewing." 

"  They  seem  to  be  quite  pleasant  little  girls,  and 
they  will  be  a  good  deal  of  company  for  Rose." 

"How  did  you  like  them,  Rosie?"  asked  her 
brother. 

"  Ever  so  much.  Jennie, — that's  the  oldest,  you 
know,  she's  almost  as  big  as  me,  —  said  she  would 
give  me  one  of  her  dolls.  She's  got  four." 

"  That's  quite  a  large  family  for  a  young  lady  to 
have.  Don't  you  think  she  would  give  me  one  of 
them?" 

"Boys  don't  have  dolls,"  said  Rose,  decidedly. 
"It  aint  proper." 

Rufus  laughed. 

"  Then  I  suppose  I  must  do  without  one ;  but  it 
Would  be  a  great  deal  of  company  for  me  when  I  go 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.  63 

down  town  to  business.  I  could  put  it  in  my  pocket, 
you  know." 

"  You're  only  making  fun,  Rufie." 

"  I  suppose  you  think  of  going  up  to  Mrs.  Clay 
ton's  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,"  said  Rufus, 
turning  to  Miss  Manning. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered ;  "  I  can  send  up  my  trunk 
by  a  city  express,  and  Rose  and  I  can  go  up  by  the 
horse-cars,  or,  if  it  is  pleasant,  we  will  walk." 

"  I  will  go  up  with  you,  and  look  at  the  room  you 
spoke  of,  if  you  will  go  early  enough  for  me  to  be 
down  at  the  office  at  nine  o'clock." 

Miss  Manning  assented  to  this  arrangement,  and 
Rufus  left  Franklin  Street  at  nine,  and  repaired  to 
the  Newsboy's  Lodging  House,  to  sleep  there  for  the 
last  time. 


64  RUFUS  AND  RCSB; 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A   NEW  HOME. 

AT  an  early  hour  the  next  morning  Miss  Manning, 
accompanied  by  Rufus  and  Rose,  ascended  Mrs. 
Clayton's  steps,  and  rang  the  bell. 

The  summons  was  answered  directly  by  a  servant. 

"Is  Mrs.  Clayton  at  home?"  inquired  Miss  Man 
ning. 

"  Yes ;  you're  Mrs.  Colman's  new  governess,  aint 
you?" 

"I  am;  but  I  would  like  to  see  Mrs.  Clayton 
first." 

"  Come  in,  and  I'll  call  her." 

The  three  remained  standing  in  the  hall,  awaiting 
the  appearance  of  the  landlady. 

Rufus  surveyed  the  interior  of  the  house,  so  far  as 
he  could  see  it,  with  evident  approval.  Not  that  the 
house  compared  with  the  homes  of  many  of  my  young 
readers  who  are  favored  by  fortune  It  was  not 


fHE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READS'.  6< 

magnificent,  but  it  was  neat,  and  well  furnished,  and 
looked  bright  and  cheerful.  To  Rufus  it  appeared 
even  elegant.  He  had  a  glimpse  of  the  parlor 
through  the  half-opened  door,  and  it  certainly  was  so, 
compared  with  the  humble  boarding-house  in  Frank 
lin  Street,  not  to  mention  the  miserable  old  tenement 
house  on  Leonard  Street,  which  the  readers  of 
"  Rough  and  Ready "  will  easily  remember. 

"  I  say,  Miss  Manning,  this  is  jolly,"  said  Rufus, 
in  a  tone  of  satisfaction. 

"  Isn't  it  a  nice  house,  Rune  ?  "  said  little  Rose. 

"  Yes,  it  is,  Rosie ; "  and  Rough  and  Ready,  to 
call  him  for  once  by  his  old  name,  felt  happy  in  the 
thought  that  his  little  sister,  whose  life,  thus  far,  had 
been  passed  in  a  miserable  quarter  of  the  city,  would 
now  be  so  much  more  favorably  situated. 

At  this  moment  Mrs.  Clayton  made  her  appear 
ance. 

"  Good-morning,  Miss  Manning,"  she  said,  cor 
dially  ;  "I  am  sorry  the  servant  left  you  standing  in 
the  hall.  Good-morning,  my  dear,"  addressing 
Rose  ;  "  is  this  young  man  your  brother  ?  " 


66  RUFUS  AND   ROSE',    OR, 

"  He  is  my  brother,"  said  Rose ;  "  buc  he  isn't  a 
/oung  man.  He's  a  boy." 

Rufus  smiled. 

"  Maybe  I'll  be  a  young  man  in  twenty  or  thirty 
fears,"  he  said.  "  Miss  Manning  tells  me,"  he  con 
tinued,  "  that  you  have  a  small  room  which  you  will 
let  for  five  dollars  a  week  with  board." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  landlady ;  u  my  price  has  always 
been  five  and  a  half,  but  as  your  sister  would  like  to 
have  you  here,  I  wrill  say  five  to  you." 

"Can  I  look  at  it?" 

"  Yes,  I  will  go  up  and  show  it  to  you  at  once." 

They  followed  Mrs.  Clayton  up  two  flights  of 
stairs.  The  door  of  the  vacant  room  was  already 
open.  It  was  a  hall  bedroom  of  ordinary  size.  The 
head  of  the  bed  was  on  the  same  side  as  the  door, 
the  room  being  just  wide  enough  for  it.  Between  the 
foot  of  the  bed  and  the  window,  but  on  the  opposite 
side,  was  a  bureau  with  a  mirror.  There  were  a 
washstand  and  a  couple  of  chairs  beside  it.  A  neat 
carpet  covered  the  floor,  and  the  window  was  screened 
by  a  shade. 

"  You  see  it  is  pretty  good  size  for  a  hall  bedroom," 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.  67 

Baid  the  landlady.  "  There  is  no  closet,  but  you  can 
hang  your  clothes  on  that  row  of  pegs.  If  there  are 
not  enough,  I  will  have  some  more  put  in." 

"  I  think  there  will  be  enough,"  said  Rufus,  think 
ing,  as  he  spoke,  of  his  limited  wardrobe.  He  was 
not  much  better  off  than  the  man  who  carried  all  his 
clothes  on  his  back,  and  so  proclaimed  himself  inde 
pendent  of  trunk-makers. 

"Well,  Rufus,  what  do  you  think  of  the  room?" 
asked  Miss  Manning. 

"  I'll  take  it,"  said  our  hero,  promptly.  He  had 
been  on  the  point  of  calling  it  bully,  when  it  occurred 
to  him  that  perhaps  such  a  word  might  not  be  the 
most  appropriate  under  the  circumstances. 

"When  will  you  come,  Mr. ?"  here  the  land 
lady  hesitated,  not  having  been  made  acquainted  with 
the  last  name  of  our  new  boarder.  Here  it  occurs  to 
me  that  as  yet  our  hero  has  not  been  introduced 
by  his  full  name,  although  this  is  the  second  volume 
of  his  adventures.  It  is  quite  time  that  this  neg'wct 
w  is  remedied. 

"  Rusaton,"  said  Rufus. 


68  RUFUS  AND   ROSE;    0/J, 

"  Wlien  will  you  take  possession  of  the  room,  Mr, 
Rushton?" 

44  I'll  be  here  to-night  to  dinner,"  said  Rufus, 
14  Maybe  I  won't  send  my  trunk  round  till  to 
morrow." 

44 1  didn't  know  you  had  a  trunk,  Rufie,"  said  Rose, 
innocently. 

"  I  don't  carry  my  trunk  round  all  the  time  like  an 
elephant,  Rosy,"  said  her  brother,  a  little  embarrassed 
by  his  sister's  revelation,  for  he  wanted  to  keep  up 
appearances  in  his  new  character  as  a  boarder  at  an 
up-town  boarding-house. 

44  Rufus,  wouldn't  you  like  to  go  up  and  see  my 
room?"  interposed  Miss  Manning  ;  "  it's  on  the  next 
floor,  but,  though  rather  high  up,  I  think  you  will  like 
it." 

This  opportune  interruption  prevented  Rose  from 
making  any  further  reference  to  the  trunk. 

So  they  proceeded  upstairs. 

Though  Mr.  Colman  had  not  yet  sent  in  the  addi 
tional  furniture  promised  by  his  wife,  the  room  was 
looking  bright  and  pleasant.  The  carpet  had  a  rich, 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.  69 

warm  tint,  and  everything  looked,  as  the  saying  is, 
as  neat  as  a  pin. 

"  This  is  to  be  my  room,"  said  Miss  Manning,  with 
satisfaction,  —  "  my  room  and  Rosy's.  I  hope  you 
will  often  come  up  to  visit  us.  How  do  you  like  it  ?  '* 

"Bully,"  said  Rufus,  admiringly,  unconsciously 
pronouncing  the  forbidden  word. 

"  I  think  we  shall  be  very  comfortable  here,"  said 
Miss  Manning. 

Here  a  child's  step  was  he&rd  upon  the  stairs,  and 
Jennie  Colman  entered. 

"  Mamma  would  like  to  see  you  downstairs,  Miss 
Manning,"  she  said. 

"  Good-morning,  my  dear,"  said  her  new  gov 
erness.  "  Rufus,  this  is  one  of  my  pupils." 

"Is  that  your  husband,  Miss  Manning?"  asked 
Jennie,  surveying  Rufus  with  attention. 

Rufus  laughed,  and  Miss  Manning  also. 

"He  would  be  rather  a  young  husband  for  me, 
Jennie,"  she  said.  "  He  is  more  suitable  for  you." 

*'  I  am  not  old  enough  to  be  married  yet,"  she 
answered,  gravely;  "but  perhaps  I  will  marry  him 
some  time.  I  like  his  looks." 


70  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

Rufus  blushed  a  little,  not  being  in  the  habit  of 
receiving  compliments  from  young  ladies. 

"Have  you  got  that  doll  for  me,  Jennie?"  asked 
Kose,  introducing  the  subject  which  had  the  greatest 
interest  for  her. 

"  Yes,  I've  got  it  downstairs,  in  mamma's  room." 

They  went  down,  and  at  the  door  of  Mrs.  Colrnan's 
room  Miss  Manning  said,  "Won't  you  come  in, 
Rufus  ?  I  will  introduce  you  to  Mrs.  Colman." 

"  Yes,  come  in,"  said  Jennie,  taking  his  hand. 

But  Rufus  declined,  feeling  bashful  about  being 
introduced. 

"  It's  time  for  me  to  go  to  the  office,"  he  said ; 
"  some  other  time  will  do." 

"  You'll  be  here  in  time  for  dinner,  Rufus?" 

"Yes,"  said  our  hero,  and  putting  on  his  hat  he 
made  his  escape,  feeling  considerably  relieved  when 
he  was  fairly  in  the  open  air. 

"  I  s'pose  I'll  get  used  to  it  after  a  while,"  he  said 
to  himself.  + 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  come,  Miss  Manning,"  said 
Mrs.  Colnian,  extending  her  hand.  "  You  will  be 
able  to  relieve  me  of  a  great  deal  of  my  care.  The 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH    1ND   READY.  71 

children  are  good,  but  full  of  spirits,  and  when  I  have 
one  of  nay  nervous  headaches,  the  noise  goes  through 
my  head  like  a  knife.  I  hope  you  won't  find  them  a 
great  deal  of  trouble." 

"  I  don't  anticipate  that,"  said  the  new  governess, 
t  heerfully  ;  "  I  am  fond  of  children." 

44  Do  you  ever  have  the  headache?" 

"  Very  seldom." 

"  Then  you  are  lucky.  Children  are  a  great  trial 
at  such  a  time." 

"  Have  you  the  headache  this  morning,  Mrs.  Col- 
man  ?  "  asked  Miss  Manning,  in  a  tone  of  sympathy. 

"  Not  badly,  but  I  am  seldom  wholly  free  from  it. 
Now  suppose  we  talk  a  little  of  our  plans.  It  is 
time  the  children  were  beginning  to  learn  to  read. 
Can  your  little  girl  read?" 

"  A  little  ;  not  very  much." 

"  I  suppose  it  will  be  better  not  to  require  them  to 
study  more  than  an  hour  or  two  a  day,  just  at  first. 
The  rest  of  the  time  you  can  look  after  them.  I  am 
afraid  you  will  find  it  quite  an  undertaking." 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  that,"  said  Miss  Manning, 
cheerfully. 


72  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  The  children  have  no  books  to  study  from.  Per 
haps  you  had  better  take  them  out  for  a  walk  now, 
and  stop  on  your  way  at  some  Broadway  bookseller's, 
and  get  such  books  as  you  think  they  will  need." 

"  Very  well." 

"Are  we  going  out  to  walk?"  said  Jennie.  "I 
shall  like  that." 

"  And  I  too,"  said  Carrie. 

"  I  hope  you  won't  give  Miss  Manning  any 
trouble,"  said  their  mother.  "  Here  is  some  money 
to  pay  for  the  books  ; "  and  she  handed  the  new  gov 
erness  a  five-dollar  bill. 

The  children  were  soon  ready,  and  their  new  gov 
erness  went  on  with  them.  She  congratulated 
herself  on  the  change  in  her  mode  of  life.  When 
solely  dependent  on  her  labors  as  a  seamstress, 
she  had  been  compelled  to  sit  hour  after  hour,  from 
early  morning  until  evening,  sewing  steadily,  and 
then  only  earned  enough  to  keep  soul  and  body 
together.  What  wonder  if  she  became  thin,  and  her 
cheek  grew  pale,  losing  the  rosy  tint  which  it  wore, 
when  as  a  girl  she  lived  among  the  hills  of  New 
England  !  Better  times  had  come  to  her  at  length. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH    42V7>   READY.  73 

She  would  probably  be  expected  to  spend  consid 
erable  time  daily  out  of  doors,  as  her  pupils  were  too 
young  to  study  much  or  long  at  a  time.  It  was  a 
blessed  freedom,  so  she  felt,  and  she  was  sure  that 
she  should  enjoy  the  society  of  the  two  little  girls, 
having  a  natural  love  for  children.  She  did  not 
expect  to  like  them  as  well  as  Rose,  for  Rose  seemed 
partly  her  own  child,  but  she  didn't  doubt  that  she 
should  ere  long  become  attached  to  them. 

Then,  again,  she  would  not  only  enjoy  an  agreeable 
home,  but  for  the  first  time  would  receive  such  com 
pensation  for  her  services  as  to  be  quite  at  ease  in 
her  pecuniary  circumstances.  Five  dollars  a  week 
might  not  be  a  large  sum  to  a  lady  with  expensive 
tastes ;  but  Miss  Manning  had  the  art  of  appearing 
well  dressed  for  a  small  sum,  and,  as  she  made  her 
own  clothes,  she  estimated  that  three  dollars  a  week 

tvould  clothe  both,  and  enable  her  to  save  two  dol- 
I 

;  lars  weekly,  or  a  hundred  dollars  a  year.     This  wa? 
j  indeed  a  bright  prospect  to  one  who  had  been  engaged 

in  a  hand-to-hand  struggle  with  poverty  for  the  last 

five  years. 

She  went  into  a  Broadway  bookstore,  and  pur- 


74  IIUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

chased  primers  for  her  new  pupils,  and  a  more 
advanced  reading-book  for  Rose.  At  the  end  of  an 
hour  they  returned  home.  They  found  an  express 
wagon  at  the  door.  Two  men  were  lifting  out  a  sofa 
and  a  rocking-chair. 

"  They  are  for  your  room,  Miss  Manning,"  said 
Jennie.  "  I  heard  ma  tell  pa  this  morning,  to  stop  at 
a  furniture  place  and  buy  them." 

Mr.  Colman  had  certainly  been  prompt,  for,  though 
it  was  still  early,  here  they  were. 

When  they  were  carried  upstairs,  and  placed  in 
her  room,  Miss  Manning  looked  about  her  with  par 
donable  pride  and  satisfaction.  Though  the  room 
was  on  the  fourth  floor,  it  looked  quite  like  a  parlor. 
She  felt  that  she  should  take  great  comfort  in  so  neat 
and  pleasant  a  room.  It  was  a  great  contrast  to  her 
dull,  solitarjr,  laborious  life  in  the  shabby  room,  for 
which,  poor  as  it  was,  she  oftentimes  found  it  difficult 
to  provide  the  weekly  rent. 

There  were  no  lesstms  that  morning,  for  Miss  Man 
ning  had  her  trunk  to  unpack,  and  Rose's  clothes 
and  her  own  to  lay  away  in  the  bureau-drawers.  She 
had  about  completed  this  work  when  the  bell  rang 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.  75 

for  lunch.  Taking  E/jse  by  the  hand,  she  led  her 
downstairs  to  the  basement,  where,  as  is  common  in 
New  York  boarding-houses,  the  dining-room  was 
situated. 

There  were  five  ladies  and  children  at  the  table, 
the  gentlemen  being  obliged,  on  account  of  the  dis 
tance,  to  take  their  lunch  down  town,  somewhere  near 
their  places  of  business. 

"  You  may  take  this  seat,  Miss  Manning,"  said 
the  landlady,  indicating  one  near  herself.  "  Your 
little  girl  can  sit  between  us,  and  Jennie  and  Carrie 
on  the  other  side.  I  will  trouble  you  to  take  care  of 
them.  Their  mother  seldom  comes  down  to  lunch." 

The  repast  was  plain  but  plentiful,  the  principal 
meal,  dinner,  being  at  six,  an  hour  more  convenient 
for  men  of  business.  I  state  this  for  the  benefit  of 
those  of  my  readers  who  live  in  the  country,  and  are 
accustomed  to  take  dinner  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 

Miss  Manning  was  introduced  to  Mrs.  Pratt,  a 
stout,  elderly  lady,  with  a  pleasant  face,  who  sat 
opposite  her  ;  to  Mrs.  Florence,  a  young  lady  recently 
married,  who  sat  at  her  left ;  and  to  Mrs.  Clifton,  for 
merly  Miss  Peyton,  who,  as  well  as  her  husband,  will 


76  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  GJJ, 

be  remembered  by  the  readers  of  the  second  and  third 
volumes  of  this  series.  Mr.  Clifton  kept  a  dry  goods 
store  on  Eighth  Avenue. 

In  the  afternoon,  Miss  Manning  gave  her  first  les 
son,  and  succeeded  in  interesting  her  young  pupils, 
who  proved  quite  docile,  and  seemed  to  have  taken  a 
fancy  to  their  new  governess. 

Meanwhile  Rufus  had  succeeded  in  making  an 
arrangement  which  promised  to  add  to  his  weekly 
income.  Of  this  an  account  will  be  given  in  the  next 
chapter. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A   NEW   ENTERPRISE. 

RUFUS  felt  some  doubts  as  to  whether  he  had  done 
wisely  in  agreeing  to  board  at  Mrs.  Clayton's.  Hia 
own  board,  together  with  what  he  paid  for  his  sister's 
board  and  clothes,  would  just  take  up  the  ^hole  of 
his  salary.  However,  he  would  have  the  interest  on 
his  five  hundred  dollars,  now  deposited  in  a  savings- 
bank,  and  yielding  six  per  cent,  interest  annually. 
Still  this  would  amount  only  to  thirty  dollars,  and 
this  would  not  be  sufficient  to  pay  for  his  ctothes 
alone,  not  to  mention  miscellaneous  expenses,  such 
as  car-fares  and  other  incidental  expenses.  He  felt 
that  he  should  like  now  and  then  to  go  on  an  excur 
sion  with  his  sister  and  Miss  Manning,  or  perhaps  to 
a  place  of  amusement.  For  all  this,  one  hundre^ 
dollars  a  year  would  be  needed,  at  a  moderate  calcula 
tion.  How  should  he  make  up  this  amount  ? 

Two  ways  suggested   themselves  to  Rufus.     One 


78  RUFVS  AND  ROSE,    OS, 

was,  draw  upon  his  principal.  Probably  he  would 
not  be  obliged  to  do  this  very  long,  as,  at  the 
end  of  six  months,  it  was  probable  that  his  salary 
would  be  raised  if  he  gave  satisfaction,  and  this 
he  meant  to  do.  Still,  Rufus  did  not  like  this 
plan,  for  five  hundred  dollars  seemed  a  good 
round  sum,  and  he  wanted  to  keep  is  all.  The  other 
way  was  to  make  up  the  necessary  sum  by  extra 
work  outside  of  the  office.  This  idea  he  liked  best. 
But  it  suggested  another  question,  which  was  not 
altogether  easy  to  answer.  "  What  should  he  do,  or 
what  kind  of  work  should  he  choose  ?  " 

He  might  go  back  to  his  old  employment.  As  he 
was  not  required  to  be  at  the  office  before  nine 
o'clock,  why  should  he  not  spend  an  hour  or  two  in 
the  early  morning  in  selling  newspapers?  He  felt 
confident  that  he  could  in  this  way  clear  two  dollars 
a  week.  But  there  were  two  objections  which  oc 
curred  to  him.  The  first  was,  that  as  Mrs.  Clayton's 
breakfast  was  at  half-past  seven  in  the  winter,  and 
not  earlier  than  seven  in  the  summer,  he  would  be 
obliged  to  give  it  up,  and  take  breakfast  at  some  res 
taurant  down  town.  His  breakfasts,  probably,  would 


THE    FORTUNES    OF   ROUGB   AND    READY.  79 

come  to  very  nearly  the  sum  he  would  make  by  sell 
ing  papers,  and  as  Mrs.  Clayton  took  him  under  her 
usual  price,  it  was  hardly  to  be  expected  that  she 
would  make  any  allowance  for  his  absence  from  the 
morning  meal.  Besides,  Rufus  had  left  his  old  life 
behind  him,  and  he  did  not  want  to  go  back  to  it. 
He  doubted,  also,  whether  his  employer  would  like  to 
have  him  spend  his  time  before  office  hours  in  selling 
papers.  Then,  again,  he  was  about  to  board  at  a 
house  of  very  good  rank,  and  he  felt  that  he  did  not 
wish  to  pass  among  his  new  acquaintances  as  a  news- 
bov.  if  he  could  get  something  better  to  do.  Of 
course  it  was  respectable,  as  all  honest  labor  is  ;  but 
our  hero  felt  that  by  this  time  he  was  suited  to  some- 
tnmg  better. 

The  more  Rufus  balanced  these  considerations  in 
nis  mind,  the  more  perplexed  he  became.  Meanwhile 
ne  was  walking  down  Broadway  on  his  way  to  the 
office. 

Just  as  he  was  crossing  Canal  Street,  some  one 
tapped  him  on  the  shoulder.  Turning  round,  he  rec 
ognized  a  young  man  wnom  he  remembered  as  clerk 


80  RUFUS   AND   ROSE;    OR) 

LQ  a  stationery  store  in  Nassau  Street.  His  name 
was  George  Black. 

4 'Rough  and  Ready!"  he  exclaimed,  m  surprise. 
"  Is  this  you  ?  Why  are  you  not  selling  papers  ? 
You  got  up  late  this  morning,  didn't  you?" 

"  I've  given  up  selling  papers,"  said  Rulus. 

"  How  long  since  ?  " 

"  Only  a  few  days." 

u  What  are  you  up  to  now?  " 

"  I'm  in  an  office  in  Wall  Street." 

"  What  sort  of  an  office  ?  " 

"  A  banker's,  —  Mr.  Turner's." 

"  Yes,  I  know  the  firm.     What  do  you  get  ?  * 

"  Eight  dollars  a  week." 

"  That's  pretty  good,  —  better  than  selling  pa 
pers." 

"  Yes,  I  like  it  better,  though  I  don't  make  any 
more  money  than  I  did  before.  But  it  seems  more 
like  business." 

"  Well,  you've  found  a  place,  and  I've  lost  one." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  My  employer  failed,  and  the  business  has  gone 
up,"  said  Black. 


THE    FORTUXZS    OP'  ROUC.fl   AND   READY.  81 

"  I  suppose  you  are  looking  for  a  new  place." 

"Yes;  but  I  wouldn't  if  I  only  had  a  little 
capital." 

"  What  would  you  do  then?" 

"  I  was  walking  up  Sixth  Avenue  yesterday,  when 
1  saw  a  neat  little  periodical  and  fancy  goods  store 
for  sale,  on  account  of  the  owner's  illness.  It's  a  very 
good  location,  and  being  small  does  not  require  much 
capital  to  carry  it  on.  The  rent  is  cheap,  —  only 
twenty  dollars  a  month.  By  adding  a  few  articles,  I 
could  make  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  out  of  it." 

"  Why  don't  you  take  it  ?  " 

"Because  I  naven't  got  but  a  hundred  dollars  in 
the  world,  and  I  expect  that  will  be  gone  before  I  get 
a  new  place." 

"  What  does  the  owner  want  for  his  stock?" 

"  He  says  it  cost  him  seven  hundred  dollars ;  but 
he's  sick,  and  wants  to  dispose  of  it  as  soon  as  possi- 
ole.  He'll  sell  out  for  five  hundred  dollars  cash." 

"Are  you  sure  the  stock  is  worth  that  much?" 
asked  Rufns. 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  it  is  worth  more.     I've  been  in 

the  business,  and  I  can  judge." 
6 


82  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  on. 

"  Why  don't  you  borrow  the  money  ? ' 

"  It  is  easy  enough  to  say  that,  but  where  shall  I 
find  anybody  to  lend  it?" 

"  You  might  take  a  partner  with  money." 

"  So  I  might,  if  I  could  find  one." 

"  Look  here,  Mr.  Black,"  said  Rufus,  in  a  business 
like  tone,  "  what  offer  will  you  make  to  any  one 
who  will  furnish  you  the  money  to  buy  out  this 
shop?" 

"  Do  you  know  of  anybody  who  has  got  the 
money  ?  "  asked  the  young  man. 

"  Perhaps  I  do,  and  perhaps  I  don't ;  but  maybe  I 
might  find  somebody." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do.  If  any  one  will  set  me 
up  there,  I  will  give  him  a  third  of  the  profits  after 
paying  expenses." 

"  And  you  think  that  you  can  make  a  thousand 
dollars  a  year  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  feel  sure  of  it." 

"  That's  a  good  offer, "  said  Rufus,  meditatively. 

"  I'm  willing  to  make  it.  At  that  rate  I  shall 
make  thirteen  dollars  a  week,  and  I  have  never  been 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.     83 

paid  but  twelve  for  clerking  it.    Besides,  I  should  be 
my  own  master." 

"  You  might  not  make  so  much." 

"If  I  make  less  I  can  live  on  less.  There's  a 
small  room  in  back,  where  I  can  put  in  a  bed,  that 
will  save  me  room-rent.  My  meals  I  can  buy  at  the 
restaurants.  I  don't  believe  it  will  cost  me  over 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  live." 

"  80  that  you  could  save  up  money." 

"  Yes,  I  should  be  sure  to.  After  a  while  I  could 
buy  out  the  whole  business." 

Rufus  was  silent  for  a  moment.  He  had  five  hun- 
Ired  dollars.  Why  should  he  not  set  up  George 
Black  in  business  on  the  terms  proposed  ?  Then,  in 
stead  of  getting  a  paltry  thirty  dollars'  interest  foi 
his  money,  he  would  get  two  or  three  hundred  dol 
lars,  and  this  would  abundantly  make  up  what  he 
needed  to  live  in  good  style  at  Mrs.  Clayton's,  and 
afford  Rose  and  himself  occasional  recreation.  Of 
course  a  good  deal  depended  on  the  honesty  of 
George  Black.  But  of  this  young  man  Rufus  had  a 
very  good  opinion,  having  known  him  for  two  or 
three  years.  Besides,  as  partner  he  would  be  ent: 


84  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OK, 

tied  to  inquire  into  the  state  of  the  bTisiness  at  anj 
time,  and  if  anything  was  wrong  he  would  take  care 
that  it  was  righted. 

"What  are  you  thinking  about?"  inquired  the 
young  man,  observing  his  silence. 

"How  would  you  like  me  for  a  partner?"  asked 
Rufus,  looking  up  suddenly. 

"  I'd  just  as  lief  have  you  as  anybody,  if  you 
had  the  money,"  said  George  Black. 

"  I  have  got  the  money,"  said  our  hero. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you've  got  five  hundred 
dollars  ?  "  asked  Black,  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  I  do." 

"  How  did  you  get  it?  You  didn't  make  it  selling 
papers  in  the  street." 

"  You  may  bet  on  that.  No ;  I  found  part  of  it 
and  the  rest  I  had  given  me." 

"  Tell  me  about  it." 

Rufus  did  so. 

"Where  is  the  money?" 

"  E  keep  it  in  a  savings-bank." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  Rafus,"  said  George,  "  if  you'll 
buy  out  the  shop  for  me,  and  come  in  as  my  partner, 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.     85 

Pll  do  what  I  said,  and  that'll  be  a  good  deal  better 
than  the  savings-bank  can  do  for  you." 

"  That's  true  ;  but  there'll  be  more  risk." 

UI  don't  think  there  will.  I  shall  manage  the 
business  economically,  and  you  can  come  in  any 
time  and  see  how  it's  going  on.  But  I  never  thought 
you  had  so  much  money." 

"  If  you  had,  maybe  you'd  have  thought  more  of 
me,"  said  Rufus. 

"Maybe  I  should.  'Money  makes  the  mare  go* 
hi  this  world.  But  when  will  you  let  me  know  about 
it?  I've  only  got  two  days  to  decide  in." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  the  shop  myself,"  said  Rufus, 
with  commendable  prudence. 

"  Of  course ;  that's  what  I'd  like  to  have  you  do. 
When  will  you  come  round  with  me  and  see  it  ?  " 

"  I  can't  come  now,"  said  our  hero,  "  for  it  would 
make  me  late  at  the  office.  Is  it  open  in  the  even- 
ing?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  I'll  tell  you  what.  I'll  meet  you  there  this 
evening  at  eight  o'clock.  Just  give  me  the  number, 
and  I'll  be  sure  to  be  there." 


86  RUFUS   AND   ROSE',    OK, 

"  A 11  right.     Have  you  got  a  pencil  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  here's  one  of  our  cards.  You  can  put 
it  down  here." 

The  address  was  put  down,  and  the  two  parted. 

George  Black  went  round  to  the  shop  at  once  to 
say  that  he  would  probably  be  able  to  make  an  ar 
rangement.  In  the  evening,  at  the  appointed  hour, 
the  two  met  at  the  periodical  store. 

Rufus  was  favorably  impressed  on  first  entering. 
The  room  was  small,  but  it  was  very  neat.  It  had  a 
good  window  opening  to  the  street,  and  it  appeared 
well  filled  with  stock.  A  hasty  survey  satisfied  our 
hero  that  the  stock  was  really  worth  more  than  the 
amount  asked  for  it. 

The  proprietor  seemed  a  sickly-looking  man,  and 
the  plea  of  ill-health,  judging  from  his  appearance, 
might  readily  be  credited. 

"  This  is  the  capitalist  I  spoke  of  this  morning," 
said  George  Black,  introducing  Rufus. 

"  He  seems  young,",  said  the  proprietor,  a  little 
surprised. 

"  I'm  not  very  aged  yet,"  said  Rufus,  smiling. 

"  The  main  thing  is,  that  he's  got  the  money,"  said 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  87 

Black.  "He's  in  business  in  Wall  Street,  and  is 
looking  about  for  an  investment  of  his  spare  funds." 

Rufus  was  rather  pleased  with  this  way  of  stating 
his  position.  He  saw  that  it  heightened  his  impor 
tance  considerably  in  the  mind  of  the  owner  of  the 
shop. 

"He'll  do  well  to  invest  here,"  said  the  latter. 
"  It's  a  good  stand.  I  wouldn't  sell  out  if  my  health 
would  let  me  hold  on.  But  confinement  doesn't  suit 
me.  The  doctor  says  I  shan't  live  a  year,  if  I  stay 
here,  and  life  is  better  than  money." 

"  That's  so." 

u  How  long  has  this  shop  been  established?"  asked 
Rufus. 

"  Five  years." 

"  It  ought  to  be  pretty  well  known." 

"Yes  ;  it's  got  a  good  run  of  custom.  If  the  right 
man  takes  hold  of  it,  he'll  make  money.  He  can't 
help  it." 

"What  do  you  think  of  it,  Rufus?"  r,fcad  George 
Black,  turning  to  our  hero.  "  Isn't  i'  J.il  I  repro 
sented?" 


88  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  Yes,"  said  Rufus.  "  I  should  think  a  good  busi 
ness  might  be  done  here." 

"  If  I  get  hold  of  it,  a  good  business  shall  be  done 
here,"  said  Black,  emphatically.  "  But  it  all  depends 
on  you.  Say  the  word,  and  we'll  close  the  bargain 
now." 

"  All  right !  "  said  Rufus,  promptly.  "  I'll  say  the 
word.  We'll  take  the  shop." 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.  89 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE    NEW   BOARDING-HOUSE. 

IT  might  be  considered  hazardous  for  Rufus  to 
invest  all  his  money  in  a  venture  which  depended  to 
so  great  an  extent  upon  the  honesty  of  another.  But 
there  is  no  profit  without  risk,  and  our  hero  felt  con 
siderable  confidence  in  the  integrity  of  his  proposed 
partner.  It  occurred  to  him,  however,  that  he  might 
need  some  money  before  he  should  receive  any  from 
the  business.  Accordingly,  as  the  young  man  had 
told  him  that  he  had  a  hundred  dollars,  he  proposed 
that  he  should  contribute  one  half  of  that  sum  towards 
the  purchase  of  the  shop,  while  he  made  up  the  bal 
ance, —  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  This  would 
leave  him  fifty  dollars  for  contingent  expenses,  while 
George  Black  would  have  the  same. 

Our  hero's  street-life  had  made  him  sharp,  and  he 
determined  to  secure  himself  as  far  as  possible.  He 
accordingly  proposed  to  George  Black  that  they 


90  RUFUS   AND   ROSE;    OR, 

should  go  to  a  lawyer,  and  have  articles  of  agreement 
drawn  up.  For  this,  however,  he  did  not  have  time 
till  the  next  morning. 

One  article  proposed  by  Rufus  was,  that  he  should 
draw  fifty  dollars  a  quarter  towards  the  third  share 
of  the  profits,  which  it  was  agreed  that  he  should 
receive,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  any  balance  that 
might  remain  due.  No  objection  was  made  by 
George  Black,  who  considered  this  provision  a  fair 
one.  The  style  of  the  firm, — for  as  most  of  the  capital 
was  furnished  by  Rufus,  it  was  thought  that  his  name 
should  be  represented,  —  was  "  RUSHTON  &  BLACK." 

A  new  sign  was  ordered,  bearing  their  names,  and 
it  was  arranged  that  the  new  proprietors  should  take 
possession  of  the  store  at  the  commencement  of  the 
next  week,  when  it  would  probably  be  ready. 

Rufus  hesitated  about  announcing  his  new  venture 
to  Miss  Manning  and  Rose,  but  finally  concluded  not 
to  do  so  just  at  present.  It  would  be  time,  he 
thought,  when  they  had  got  fairly  started. 

Meanwhile  he  had  transferred  himself  to  the  room 
at  Mrs.  Clayton's  boarding-house.  He  felt  rather 
bashful  at  first  about  appearing  at  the  table.  Half 


FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH  AND   READY.  91 

an  hour  before  the  time,  he  reached  the  house,  and 
went  up  at  once  to  Miss  Manning's  room. 

"  O  Rufie  !  "  said  Rose,  jumping  up  from  the  sofa 
and  running  to  meet  him,  "  have  you  come  to  stay?" 

"Yes,  Rosie,"  he  answered,  sitting  down  on  the 
sofa,  and  taking  her  in  his  lap. 

"I  am  so  glad.  You  are  going  down  to  dinner, 
aint  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so." 

"  WQ  have  such  nice  dinners, — don't  we,  Misi 
Manning  ?  " 

"  Very  nice,  llose." 

"A  great  deal  better  than  I  ever  had  before.  I 
wonder  where  you  will  sit,  Rufie." 

"  He  will  sit  next  to  you,  Rose ;  I  spoke  to  Mrs 
Clayton  about  it.  Rufus  will  take  care  of  you,  and  I 
am  to  look  after  Jennie  and  Carrie." 

4  That  will  be  very  nice." 

"  How  do  you  like  the  little  girls,  Rose?"  asked 
her  brother. 

"  Very  much.  They  have  given  me  some  of  their 
dolls." 

"  Anil  which  knows  the  most,  — you  or  they?" 


92  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o#, 

"  Oh.,  I  know  ever  so  much  more,"  said  Rose,  posi* 
lively. 

"Is  that  true,  Miss  Manning,  or  is  Rose  boast 
ing?"  asked  Rufus. 

"Rose  is  farther  advanced  than  either  Jennie 
or  Carrie,"  answered  Miss  Manning.  "  They  have 
studied  comparatively  little  yet,  but  I  find  them 
docile,  and  I  think  they  will  soon  improve." 

By  the  time  Rufus  had  combed  his  hair,  and  put  on 
a  clean  collar,  the  dinner-bell  rang.  He  followed 
Miss  Manning  down  into  the  dining-room. 

"  Good-evening,  Mr.  Rushton,"  said  Mrs.  Clayton. 
"  I  am  glad  to  see  you." 

"  His  name  isn't  Mr.  Rushton,"  said  Rose.  "  Hia 
name  is  Rufie." 

"  It  is  the  first  time  Rose  ever  heard  me  called  so," 
said  Rufus,  smiling.  "  She  will  soon  get  used  to  it." 

He  was  rather  pleased  than  otherwise  to  be  called 
Mr.  Rushton.  It  made  him  feel  more  like  a  man. 

"  You  may  Vake  that  seat,  Mr.  RushtoD,"  said  the 
landlady.  "  Your  little  sister  will  sit  beside  you." 

Rufus  took  the  chair  indicated. 

Next  to  him  wa&  seated  a  lady  of  thirty  or  more, 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  HOUGH    AND   HEADY.  ?3 

frhose  hair  fell  in  juvenile  ringlets.  This  was  Mrs 
Clifton,  formerly  Miss  Peyton,  who  will  be  remem 
bered  by  the  readers  of  "  Fame  and  Fortune."  Rufus 
was  introduced  to  her. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Mr. 
Rushton,"  said  Mrs.  Clifton,  graciously.  "  You  have 
a  very  sweet  little  sister." 

"  Yes  ;  she  is  a  very  good  little  girl,"  said  Rufu&, 
better  pleased  with  a  compliment  to  Rose  than  he 
would  have  been  with  one  to  himself. 

"  I  understand  you  are  in  business  in  Wall  Street, 
Mr.  Rushton." 

" Yes,"  said  Rufus.     "I  am  in  the  office  of  Mi 
Turner." 

"  I  sometimes  tell  Mr.  Clifton  I  wish  he  would  go 
Into  business  in  Wall  Street.  He  keeps  a  dry-goods 
store  on  Eighth  Avenue." 

"  Can't  remember  ever  hearing  you  mention  the 

idea,  Mrs.  C ,"  remarked  her  husband,  who  sat  on 

the  other  side,  in  a  pause  between  two  mouthfuls. 
"  There  aint  much  money  in  dry  goods  just  now,  by 
•Tove  !  I'll  open  in  Wall  Street,  if  you  say  the  word." 

Mrs.  Clifton  slightly  frowned,  and  did  not  see  fit 


94  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

to  answer  the  remark  made  to  her.  Her  husband 
was  not  very  brilliant,  either  in  business,  wit,  or  in 
any  other  way,  and  she  had  married  him,  not  from 
love,  but  because  she  saw  no  other  way  of  escaping 
from  being  an  old  maid. 

"  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Rushton,"  said  Mrs.  Clifton, 
u  you  remind  me  so  much  of  a  very  intimate  friend  of 
mine,  Mr.  Hunter  ?  " 

"  Do  I?"  added  Rufus.  "I  hope  he  is  good-look- 
mg." 

"  He's  very  handsome,"  said  Mrs.  Clifton,  "  and  so 
witty." 

"  Then  I'm  glad  I'm  like  him,"  said  Rufus. 

For  some  reason  he  did  not  feel  so  bashful  as  ho 
anticipated,  particularly  with  Mrs.  Clifton. 

"  He's  soon  going  to  be  married  to  a  very  rich 
young  lady,  —  Miss  Greyson ;  perhaps  you  know 
her." 

44  That's  where  he  has  the  advantage  of  me,"  said 
Rufus. 

"  Mr.  Clifton,"  said  his  wife,  "  don't  you  think  Mr. 
Rushton  looks  very  much  like  Mr.  Hunter?" 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  95 

"  Yes,"  said  her  husband  ;  "  as  much  as  I  look  like 
the  Emperor  Napoleon." 

"  Don't  make  a  goose  of  yourself,  Mr.  Clifton," 
said  his  wife,  sharply. 

"Thank  you,   I  don't  intend  to.     A  goose  is  a 
female,  and  I  don't   care   to  make  such  a  change." 

"  I   suppose  you  think  that  is  witty,"  said  Mrs. 
Clifton,  a  little  disdainfully. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  pursue  the  conversation. 
Those  who  remember  Mrs.  Clifton  when  she  was 
Miss  Peyton  will  easily  understand  what  was  its 
character..  It  had  the  effect,  however,  of  putting 
Rufus  at  his  ease.  On  the  whole,  considering  that 
he  was  only  used  to  cheap  restaurants,  he  acquitted 
himself  very  well  for  the  first  time,  and  no  one  sus 
pected  that  he  had  not  always  been  accustomed  to 
live  as  well.  The  dinner  he  found  excellent.  Mrs 
Clayton  herself  superintended  the  preparation  of 
dinner,  and  she  was  not  inclined  to  undue  economy, 
as  is  the  case  with  many  landladies. 

"I'm    glad  I  came  here,"  thought  Eufus.     It's 
worth  the  difference  in  price." 

As  they  rose  from  the  table,  Mrs.  Colman  asked 


96  RUFVS  AND  ROSE;  0/2, 

Miss  Manning,  "  Is  that  the  brother  of  your  little 
girl?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Miss  Manning. 

"  He  has  a  very  good  appearance  ;  I  should  like  to 
have  you  bring  him  into  our  room  a  while." 

Miss  Manning  communicated  this  invitation  to 
Rufus.  He  would  have  excused  himself  gladly,  but 
he  felt  that  this  would  have  been  hardly  polite  ;  there 
fore  he  accepted  it. 

"  I  am  glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Mr.  Rush- 
ton,"  said  Mrs.  Colman. 

u  Thank  you,"  said  Rufus. 

"  I  hear  that  you  have  come  to  board  with  us." 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  wishing  that  he  might  think 
of  something  more  to  say,  but  not  succeeding. 

"It  is  a  pleasant  boarding-place ;  I  hope  you  will 
like  it." 

"  I  think  I  shall." 

u  You  have  a  very  nice  little  sister  ;  my  little  girls 
like  her  very  much.  She  will  be  a  great  deal  of  com 
pany  for  them." 

"  I  think  she  is  a  very  good  little  girl,"  said 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.  97 

"  but  then  I  ain  her  brother,  so  I  suppose  it  is  natural 
for  me  to  think  so." 

"  You  are  in  an  office  in  Wall  Street.  I  am  told," 
said  Mr.  Colman. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Rufus. 

"  Whose,  may  I  ask?" 

"Mr.  Turner's." 

"  He  is  an  able  business-man,  and  stands  high. 
You  could  not  learn  business  under  better  auspices." 

"  I  like  him  very  much,"  said  Rufus  ;  "  but  then  I 
have  not  been  long  in  his  office." 

"  I  find  Miss  Manning  relieves  me  of  a  great  deal 
of  care  and  trouble,"  said  Mrs.  Colman  (her  new 
governess  being  just  then  out  of  the  room).  "  I  feel 
that  I  was  fortunate  in  securing  her  services." 

"  I  think  you  will  like  her,"  said  Rufus.  "  She  is 
very  kind  to  Rose.  I  don't  know  what  I  should  do 
with  little  sister,  if  I  did  not  have  her  to  look  after 
her." 

"  Then  your  mother  is  not  living,  Mr.  Rushton." 

"  No,"  said  Rufus ;  "  she  has  been  dead  for  two 
years." 

7 


98  nupus  AND  ROSE;  37?, 

"  And  you  are  the  sole  guardian  of  your  little 
sister?" 

uYes,  ma'am." 

After  half  an  hour's  call,  which  Rufus  found  less 
embarrassing  and  more  agreeable  than  he  antici 
pated,  he  excused  himself,  and  went  upstairs. 

On  Tuesday  of  the  next  week,  he  decided  to  reveal 
his  new  plans  to  Miss  Manning.  Accordingly,  he 
managed  to  reach  home  about  half-past  four  in  the 
afternoon,  and  invited  her  and  Rose  to  take  a  walk 
with  him. 

"  Where  shall  we  walk?"  she  asked. 

"  Over  to  Sixth  Avenue,"  said  Rufus.  "  I  want  to 
show  you  a  store  there." 

Miss  Manning  soon  got  ready,  and  the  three  set 
out. 

It  was  not  far,  —  scarcely  ten  minutes'  walk. 
When  they  arrived  opposite  the  store,  Rufus  pointed 
over  to  it. 

"  Do  you  see  that  periodical  store?"  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Manning. 

"How  do  you  like  it?" 

"Why  do  you  ask?"  she  inquired,  puzzled. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.  99 

"  Look  at  the  sign,"  he  answered. 

"  RUSHTON     &     BLACK,"     read     Miss    Manning 
"  Why,  that  is  your  name  !  " 

"  And  I  am  a*,  the  head  of  the  firm,"  said  Rufus 
complacently. 

"What  does  it  all  mean?"  asked  Miss  Manning. 
"How  can  it  be?" 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  said  Rufus. 

A  few  words  made  her  understand. 

"  Now,"  said  Rufus,  "  let  us  go  over  to  my  store, 
and  look  in." 

"  What,  is  it  your  store,  Rufie  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  Yes,  little  sister,  it's  part  mine." 

When  they  entered,  they  found  George  Black  be 
hind  the  counter,  waiting  on  a  customer,  who  directly 
went  out. 

"  Well,  George,  how's  business?"  asked  Rufus. 

"  It  opens  well,"  said  his  partner,  cheerfully.  "  It's 
a  good  stand,  and  there's  a  good  run  of  custom." 

"  This  is  my  friend,  Miss  Manning,"  said  Rufus> 
"  and  my  little  sister  Rose." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Miss  Manning,"  said  the 


100  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OTJ, 

young  man.  "  I  hope,"  he  added,  smiling,  "  you  will 
give  us  a  share  of  your  patronage." 

"We'll  buy  all  our  slate-pencils  at  Rufie's  store, 
won't  we,  Miss  Manning  ?  "  said  Rose. 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,"  answered  Miss  Manning,  with 
a  smile. 

"  Then,*'  said  Rufus,  "  we  shall  be  certain  to  suc 
ceed,  if  there's  a  large  profit  on  slate-pencils, 
George." 

"  Yes,  if  you  charge  high  enough." 

After  a  little  more  conversation  they  left  the  store. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  my  store,  Miss  Manning?" 
asked  Rufus. 

"  It's  a  very  neat  one.  I  had  no  idea  you  had  be 
come  so  extensive  a  business-man,  Rufus." 

" Is  Rufie  an  extensive  man?"  asked  Rose. 

•'  I  hope  to  be  some  day,"  said  Rufus,  smiling. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         101 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AT  THE  END  OF  THREE  MONTHS. 

RUFUS  soon  became  accustomed  to  his  new  board 
ing-house,  and  came  to  like  it.  It  gratified  his  pride 
to  perceive  that  he  was  regarded  as  an  equal  by  his 
fellow-boarders,  and  that  his  little  sister  Rose  was 
a  general  favorite.  It  seemed  almost  a  dream,  and  a 
very  disagreeable  one,  the  life  they  had  formerly 
lived  in  the  miserable  tenement-house  in  Leonard 
Street ;  but  still  the  remembrance  of  that  time  height 
ened  his  enjoyment  of  his  present  comforts  and  even 
luxuries.  He  usually  spent  the  evening  in  Miss 
Manning's  room,  and,  feeling  the  deficiencies  in  his 
education,  commenced  a  course  of  study  and  reading. 
He  subscribed  to  the  Mercantile  Library,  and  thus 
obtained  all  the  books  he  wanted  at  a  very  moderate 
rate. 

By  way  of  showing  how  they  lived  at  this  time, 
I  will  introduce  the  reader  to  Miss  Manning's  room 


102  RUFUS   AND   ROSE;    07J, 

one  evening,  about  three  months  after  Rufus  had 
begun  to  board  in  the  house. 

Miss  Manning  was  seated  at  the  table  sewing. 
Her  young  pupils  were  gone  to  bed,  and  she  had  the 
evening  to  herself.  Rufus  was  reading  Abbott's 
"  Life  of  Napoleon,"  which  he  found  very  interesting. 
Little  Rose  had  fallen  asleep  on  the  sofa. 

"What  are  you  sewing  upon,  Miss  Manning?" 
asked  Rufus,  looking  up  from  his  book. 

"  I  am  making  a  dress  for  Rose." 

"When  you  get  tired,  just  let  me  know,  and  I 
will  sew  a  little  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  Rufus,"  said  Miss  Manning,  smiling, 
"  but  I  suppose  it  won't  hurt  your  feelings  much,  if  I 
doubt  your  abilities  as  a  seamstress." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  shouldn't  make  a  very  good  living 
at  that,  Miss  Manning.  Times  have  changed  a  little 
since  you  used  to  sew  from  morning  till  night." 

"  Yes,  they  have.  I  used  to  see  some  hard  times, 
Rufus.  But  everything  has  changed  since  I  got 
acquainted  with  you  and  little  Rose.  I  sometimes 
am  tempted  to  regard  you  as  my  good  angel." 

"  Thank  you,  I   don't  know  much   about   angels, 


THE  FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         103 

but  I'm  afraid  I  don't  look  much  like  one.  They 
never  have  red  cheeks,  and  do  business  in  Wall 
Street,  do  they?" 

"From  what  I  have  heard,  I  don't  believe  Wall 
Street  is  a  favorite  resort  with  them.  But,  seriously, 
everything  seems  to  have  prospered  since  I  met  you. 
Really,  I  am  beginning  to  be  a  capitalist.  How 
much  money  do  you  think  I  have  saved  up  out  of 
the  three  dollars  a  week  which  you  pay  me  ?  " 

"  You've  bought  some  things  for  yourself  and  Rose, 
haven't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  have  each  had  a  dress,  and  some  little 
things." 

"  Then  I  don't  see  how  you  could  save  up  much." 

*'  I  made  the  dresses  myself,  and  that  was  a  great 
saving.  Let  me  see,  you've  paid  me  forty-two  dol 
lars,  in  all,  for  fourteen  weeks.  I  will  see  how  much 
I  have  left." 

She  went  to  the  bureau,  and  took  out  her  pocket- 
book. 

"I  have  twenty-five  dollars,"  she  said,  counting 
the  contents,  "  Am  I  not  growing  rich ?  " 


104  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR* 

"  Perhaps  you'd  like  to  speculate  with  it  in  Wall 
Street?"  suggested  Rufus. 

"  I  think  I'd  better  keep  the  money,  or  put  it  in 
a  savings-bank." 

"  When  you  have  money  enough,  I  can  buy  you  a 
fifty-dollar  government  bond." 

"  I  shall  have  to  wait  a  while  first." 

l<  Well,  as  for  me,"  said  Rufus,  "  I  can't  tell  exactly 
how  I  do  stand.  I  took  fifty  dollars  out  of  that  five 
hundred  I  had  in  the  savings-bank.  I  think  I've  got 
about  half  of  it  left.  The  rest  of  it  went  for  a  trunk, 
car  fare,  and  other  expenses.  So,  you  see,  I've  been 
going  down  hill,  while  you've  been  climbing  up." 

"  Have  you  drawn  anything  from  your  store  yet, 
Rufus  ?  You  were  to  draw  fifty  dollars  a  quarter,  I 
believe." 

"  Yes ;  and  that  reminds  me  that  George  Black 
promised  to  call  this  evening,  and  pay  the  money. 
It's  about  time  to  expect  him." 

Rufus  had  hardly  spcken,  when  a  servant  knocked 
at  the  door. 

Rufus  opened  it. 


THE    FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.         105 

"  There's  a  young  man  downstairs,  that  would  liko 
to  see  you,  Mr.  Rushton,"  she  said. 

"Where  is  he,  Nancy?" 

"  In  the  parlor." 

"  I'll  go  right  down.  I  think  it  must  be  Black,'1 
he  said,  turning  to  Miss  Manning. 

"  If  it  is,  of  course  you  will  bring  him  up." 

"  Yes,  I  should  like  to.  We  can't  talk  very  weU 
in  such  a  public  place." 

Rufus  went  down,  and  short!}7  reappeared  with 
G-eorge  Black. 

"  Good-evening,  Mr.  Black,"  said  Miss  Manning ; 
"  take  a  seat.  I  hope  you  are  well." 

"  I'm  thriving,"  said  Black.  "  How  pleasant  and 
cheerful  you  look!" 

"  Yes,  the  room  is  rather  high  up  ;  but  it  is  pleas 
ant  when  you  get  to  it." 

"  We  were  just  speaking  of  you,  when  the  girl 
c%me  to  let  us  know  that  you  were  here." 

"  I  hope  you  said  nothing  very  bad  about  me." 

"  Not  very." 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  welcome,  as  I  have  brought 
you  some  money." 


106  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"Money  is  always  welcome  here,"  said  Rufus, 
"  I'll  take  care  of  all  you  can  bring." 

"  I  have  brought  fifty  dollars,  according  to  our 
agreement." 

"  Can  you  spare  that  amount  without  affecting  the 
business  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes." 

"  I  suppose  you  can't  tell  me  what  the  profits  have 
been  for  the  last  three  months." 

"  Not  exactly ;  but  I  have  made  a  rough  calcula 
tion.  As  it  was  the  first  quarter,  I  knew  you  would 
like  to  know." 

"  Well,  what  is  your  estimate?" 

"As  well  as  I  can  judge  we  have  cleared  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars." 

"  That  is  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  dollars  a  year." 

"  Yes ;  isn't  that  doing  well?  " 

"  Capitally.  Do  you  think  the  business  will  hold 
out  at  that  rate?" 

"  I  feel  sure  of  it.     I  hope  to  improve  upon  it." 

"  Kvren  if  you  don't,  that  will  give  you  nearly 
seven  hundred  dollars  a  year,  and  me  over  three 
hundred." 


THE  FORTUNES    OF  HOUGH  AND   READY.          107 

•'  That's  better  than  clerking, — for  me,  I  mean." 

"  Perhaps  you  might  get  more  as  a  clerk." 

"  Perhaps  I  might ;  but  now  I  am  my  own  master, 
and  then  I  shouldn't  be.  Besides,  I  have  plans  in 
view  which  I  think  will  increase  our  custom,  and  of 
gourse  our  profits  also." 

"  Success  to  the  firm  of  Rushton  &  Black ! "  said 
Miss  Manning,  smiling. 

u  Thank  you,"  said  Rufus  ;  "  I  like  that  sentiment, 
and  I'd  drink  to  it  if  I  saw  anything  to  drink.  Have 
you  got  any  champagne  in  the  closet,  Miss  Man 
ning?" 

"  All  that  I  ever  had  there,  Rufus.  If  a  glass  of 
water  will  do  as  well,  I  can  give  you  that." 

At  this  moment  a  knock  was  heard  at  the  door. 
Miss  Manning  rose  and  opened  it.  The  visitor 
proved  to  be  Mrs.  Clifton,  of  whom  mention  has 
already  been  made. 

"  Good-evening,  Mrs.  Clifton,"  said  the  governess ; 
"  come  in." 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  didn't  know  you  had  com 
pany." 

"  Don't   stand  on   ceremony,   Mrs.  Clifton,"  said 


108  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  0/2, 

Rufus  ;  "  my  friend,  Mr.  Black,  is  perfectly  harmless^ 
I  assure  you.     He  is  neither  a  bull  nor  a  bear." 

"  What  spirits  you  have,  Mr.  Rushton  !  " 

•'  No  spirits  at  all,  Mrs.  Clifton.  Miss  Manning 
has  just  been  offering  us  some  water  as  a  substitute/' 

"  You  are  so  lively,  Mr.  Rushton.  You  remind  me 
so  much  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Hunter.*' 

"I  suppose  he  was  one  of  your  admirers  before 
you  became  Mrs.  Clifton." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Rushton,  you  mustn't  say  such 
things.  Mr.  Hunter  and  I  were  very  intimate 
friends,  but  nothing  more,  I  assure  you." 

"  Is  Mr.  Clifton  well?"  asked  Miss  Manning. 

"  He  hasn't  got  home  from  the  store.  You  know 
the  dry  goods  stores  always  keep  open  late.  Really, 
I  might  as  well  have  no  husband  at  all,  it  is  so  late 
when  Mr.  Clifton  gets  home,  and  then  he  is  so  sleepy 
that  he  can't  keep  his  eyes  open." 

It  was  generally  believed  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clif 
ton  did  not  live  together  as  happily  as  they  might 
h  ave  done,  —  a  fact  that  will  not  at  all  surprise  those 
who  are  familiar  with  their  history  before  their  mar 
riage,  which  was  quite  a  business  arrangement.  Mrs 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          109 

Clifton  married  because  she  did  not  want  to  be  an  old 
maid,  and  Mr.  Clifton  because  he  knew  his  prospec 
tive  wife  had  money,  by  means  of  which  he  could 
establish  himself  in  business. 

"  Are  you  in  business  in  Wall  Street,  Mr.  Black?" 
inquired  Mrs.  Clifton." 

"  No  ;  I  keep  a  store  on  Sixth  Avenue." 

"  Indeed  !  my  husband  keeps  a  dry  goods  store  on 
Eighth  Avenue." 

"  Mine  is  a  periodical  and  fancy  goods  store.  Mi. 
Rushton  here  is  my  partner." 

"  Indeed,  Mr.  Rushton,  I  am  surprised  to  hear 
that.  You  have  not  left  Wall  Street,  have  you?" 

"  No  ;  I  have  only  invested  a  portion  of  my  exten 
sive  capital.  My  friend  Black  carries  on  the  busi 

r 

ness." 

Thus  far,  Rufus  had  said  nothing  in  the  house 
about  his  connection  with  the  Sixth  Avenue  store ; 
but  now  that  it  was  no  longer  an  experiment  he  felt 
that  there  was  no  objection  to  doing  so  Mrs.  Clif 
ton,  who  liked  to  retail  news,  took  care  to  make  it 
known  in  the  house,  and  the  impiession  became  gen 
eral  that  Rufus  was  a  young  man  of  property.  Mr. 


110  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

Pratt,  who  was  an  elderly  man,  rather  given  to  prosy 
dissertations  upon  public  affairs,  got  into  the  habit 
of  asking  our  hero's  opinion  upon  the  financial  policy 
of  the  government,  to  which,  when  expressed,  he  used 
to  listen  with  his  head  a  little  on  one  side,  as  though 
the  words  were  those  of  an  oracle.  This  embarrassed 
Rufus  a  little  at  first ;  but  as  during  the  day  he  was 
in  a  situation  to  hear  considerable  in  reference  to  this 
subject,  he  was  generally  able  to  answer  in  a  way 
that  was  regarded  as  satisfactory. 

"That  young  man,"  remarked  Mr.  Pratt  to  his 
wife  in  private,  "  has  got  a  head  upon  his  shoulders. 
He  knows  what's  what.  Depend  upon  it,  if  he  lives 
long  enough^  he  will  become  a  prominent  man." 

"  I  can't  judge  of  that,"  said  good-natured  Airs. 
Pratt ;  "  but  he's  a  very  agreeable  young  man,  I  am 
»ure,  and  his  sister  is  a  little  darling." 


FORTUNES   OF  JROUQH  AND   BEADY.         Ill 


CHAPTER    X. 

MB.   MARTIN   AGAIN    APPEARS   ON   THE   SCENE. 

THE  success  of  the  periodical  store  put  Rufus  in'j 
good  spirits.  He  saw  that  it  would  yield  him,  If 
only  the  present  degree  of  prosperity  continued,  a,t 
least  three  hundred  dollars  a  year,  which  would  make 
quite  a  handsome  addition  to  his  income.  He  felt 
justified  in  going  to  a  little  extra  expense,  and  de 
termined  to  celebrate  his  good  luck  by  taking  Martha 
and  Rose  to  a  place  of  amusement  It  happened 
that  at  this  time  a  company  of  Japanese  jugglers 
were  performing  at  the  Academy  of  Music,  which,  as 
my  New  York  readers  know,  is  situated  on  Four- 
t^enth  Street. 

Meaning  it  to  be  a  surprise,  he  said  nothing  to 
Rose  or  Martha,  but  before  going  down  town  the 
next  day,  went  to  the  box-office,  and  secured  three 
reserved  seats  in  an  excellent  situation.  They  wore 


112  JiVFUS  AND  ROSE:  ox* 

expensive  ;  but  Rufus  was  resolved  that  he  would  not 
spare  expense,  for  this  occasion  at  least. 

When  he  reached  home  at  half-past  five  in  the 
afternoon,  he  went  up  at  once  to  Martha's  room. 

"  Miss  Manning,"  he  said,  "  have  you  any  engage- 
inentr  this  evening  ?  " 

"  It  is  hardly  necessarjr  to  ask,  Rufus,"  she  re 
plied  ;  "  my  company  is  not  in  very  great  demand." 

"  You  have  heard  of  the  Japanese  jugglers  at  the 
Academy  of  Music  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  Mrs.  Florence  was  speaking  of  them  this 
morning.  She  and  her  husband  went  last  evening." 

"And  we  are  going  this  evening.  Wouldn't  you 
like  to  go,  Rosy?" 

"  Ever  so  much,  Rufie.     Will  you  take  me?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  got  tickets  ;  see  here ;  "  and  Rufus 
drew  out  the  three  tickets  which  he  had  purchased  in 
the  morning. 

"  Thank  you,  Rufus,"  said  Miss  Manning ;  "  I 
shall  like  very  much  to  go.  It  is  long  since  I  went 
to  any  place  of  amusement.  How  much  did  the 
'tickets  cost?" 

"  A  dollar  and  a  half  apiece." 


THE   tURTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          113 

" Isn't  that  rather  extravagant?" 

"  It  would  be  if  we  went  every  week ;  but  now  and 
then  we  can  afford  it." 

"  You  must  let  me  pay  for  my  ticket,  Rufus." 

"  Not  if  I  know  it,"  said  Rufus.  "  It's  a  pity  if  a 
Wall  Street  banker  can't  carry  a  lady  to  a  place  of 
amusement,  without  charging  her  for  the  ticket." 

"  If  you  put  it  that  way,  I  suppose  I  must  yield," 
said  Miss  Manning,  smiling. 

Rose  was  highly  excited  at  the  idea  of  going  to  see 
the  Japanese,  whose  feats,  as  described  by  Mrs. 
Florence  at  the  breakfast-table,  had  interested  her 
exceedingly.  The  prospect  of  sitting  up  till  eleven 
in  the  evening  also  had  its  charm,  and  she  was  quite 
too  excited  to  eat  much  dinner. 

"Really,"  said  Mrs.  Clifton,  "I  quite  envy  you, 
Miss  Manning.  I  tried  to  get  Mr.  Clifton  to  buy 
tickets,  but  he  hasn't  done  it." 

"  First  time  I  heard  of  it,"  said  her  husband. 

"You  pay  very  little  attention  to  what  1  ask,  —  I 
am  aware  of  that,"  said  Mrs.  Clifton,  in  an  aggrieved 
tone. 

"  We'll  go  now,  if  you  say  so." 

a 


114  RUFUS   AND   ROS&;    Off, 

"We  couldn't  get  any  decent  seats.  When  did 
5  ou  buy  yours,  Mr.  Rushton  ?  " 

"  This  morning." 

Mrs.  Clifton,  who  was  thoroughly  selfish,  hinted 
that  probably  Hose  wouldn't  care  about  going,  and 
that  she  should  be  glad  to  buy  the  ticket,  and  accom 
pany  Rufus  and  Miss  Manning ;  but  this  hint  failed 
to  be  taken,  and  she  was  forced  unwillingly  to  stay 
at  home. 

To  tell  the  truth,  Miss  Manning  was  scarcely  less 
pleased  than  Rose  at  the  idea  of  going.  Until 
recently  she  had  been  a  poor  seamstress,  earning 
scarcely  enough  to  subsist  upon,  much  less  to  pay 
for  amusements.  Sometimes  in  the  early  evening  she 
had  passed  the  portals  of  places  of  amusement,  and 
wished  that  she  were  able  to  break  the  tedious 
monotony  of  her  daily  life  by  entering ;  but  it  was 
quite  out  of  the  question,  and  with  a  sigh  she  would 
pass  on.  Now  she  was  very  differently  situated,  and 
her  life  was  much  pleasanter. 

uCan  I  wear  my  new  dress,  Martha?"  asked 
Rose. 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         115 

"  Yes,  Rosy.  It  was  fortunate  that  I  got  it  fin- 
'ished  to-day." 

"  And  will  jou  wear  yours,  too,  Martha? " 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,"  she  said.  "  Rufus  has  bought  us 
uice  seats,  and  we  must  look  as  well  as  we  can." 

When  both  were  dressed,  they  surveyed  themselves 
with  satisfaction.  Miss  Manning  was  not  above  the 
weakness,  if  it  is  a  weakness,  of  liking  to  appear  well 
dressed,  though  she  was  not  as  demonstrative  as  Rose, 
who  danced  about  the  room  in  high  enjoyment. 

When  they  were  quite  ready,  Rufus  came  into  the 
room.  He  had  a  pair  of  kid  gloves  in  his  hand, 
which  he  twirled  about  in  rather  an  embarrassed 
way. 

"  I  can't  get  the  confounded  things  on,  Miss  Man 
ning,"  he  said.  "  I've  been  trying  for  some  time,  but 
it's  no  go.  The  fact  is,  I  never  owned  a  pair  of  kid 
gloves  before*  I'd  enough  sight  rather  go  without 
any,  but  I  suppose,  if  I  am  going  to  sit  in  a  fashion 
able  seat,  I  must  try  to  look  fashionable." 

Miss  Manning  soon  explained  to  Rufus  how  the 
gloves  should  go  on.  This  time  the  success  was  bet 
ter,  and  he  was  soon  neatly  gloved. 


116  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  They  are  pretty  gloves,  Rufus,"  she  said. 

"  I  don't  like  the  feeling  of  them,"  said  Rufus ; 
j"  they  feel  strange." 

"  That  is  because  you  are  not  used  to  them.  You'll 
like  them  better  soon." 

"  I  wonder  what  some  of  my  old  street  friends 
would  say  to  see  me  now,"  said  Rufus,  smiling. 
"  They'd  think  I  was  a  tip-top  swell." 

Though  the  gloves  did  not  feel  comfortable,  Rufus 
looked  at  his  hands  with  satisfaction.  Step  by  step 
he  was  getting  into  the  ways  of  civilized  life,  and  he 
was  very  anxious  to  leave  as  far  behind  him  as  pos 
sible  his  street  experiences. 

Soon  after  dinner  they  left  the  house,  and,  proceed 
ing  to  Broadway,  walked  up  as  far  as  Union  Square. 
Then  they  turned  down  Fourteenth  Street,  and  a  few 
minutes  brought  them  to  the  Academy  of  Music. 

The  entrance  and  vestibule  were  brilliantly  lighted. 
On  the  steps  and  in  front  were  a  number  of  specu 
lators,  who  were  eagerly  offering  their  tickets  to 
those  who  appeared  unprovided. 

Rufus  pushed  his  way  through,  with  Martha  and 
Rose  at  his  side.  His  tickets  were  taken  at  the  gate, 


THE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   LEADT.          117 

but  the  portion  indicating  the  number  of  their  re 
served  seats  was  torn  off,  and  given  back  to  them. 
On  showing  them  to  the  usher,  they  were  conducted 
to  their  seats,  which  were  in  the  sixth  row  from  the 
stage,  and  fronting  it. 

"  Well  have  a  good  view  here,  Miss  Manning,"  he 
said. 

Soon  the  curtain  rose,  and  the  performance  com 
menced.  To  those  who  have  not  seen  the  Japanese 
in  their  peculiar  performance,  it  is  enough  to  say  that 
they  show  marvellous  skill  and  agility  in  their  feats, 
some  of  which  are  so  difficult  as  to  seem  almost  im 
possible. 

All  three  enjoyed  the  performance.  Miss  Man 
ning,  though  so  much  older,  was  almost  as  much  un 
accustomed  as  little  Rose  herself  to  such  scenes,  and 
took  a  fresh  interest  in  it,  which  those  who  go  often 
cannot  feel.  Every  now  and  then,  little  Rose,  unable 
to  restrain  her  enthusiasm,  exhibited  her  delight 
openly, 

I  should  like,  for  the  benefit  of  my  younger 
readers,  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  some  portions 
of  the  performance  which  seemed  most  wonderful ;  but 


118  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  ox, 

my  memory  is  at  fault,  and  I  can  only  speak  u  gen- 
eral  terms. 

It  was  a  little  after  ten  when  the  curtain  finally 
fell. 

"  Is  that  all  ?  "  asked  Rose,  half  in  disappointment. 

"  That's  all,  Rosy.     Are  you  sleepy  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  said  Rose,  vivaciously ;  "  I  should 
like  to  stay  here  an  hour  longer.  Wasn't  it  perfectly 
beautiful,  Rune?" 

"  Yes ;  it  was  very  good,"  said  Rufus  ;  "I  don't 
know  but  I  like  it  almost  as  well  as  the  Old  Bowery." 

Though  he  had  risen  in  the  social  scale,  he  had  not 
quite  lost  his  relish  for  the  style  of  plays  for  which 
the  Old  Bowery,  the  favorite  theatre  with  the  street 
boys,  is  celebrated.  But  that  he  had  a  suspicion  that 
it  was  not  exactly  a  fashionable  place  of  amusement, 
he  would  like  to  have  taken  Rose  and  Miss  Manning 
there  this  evening.  He  would  hardly  have  liked  to 
mention  it  at  the  table  afterwards,  however. 

The  audience  rose  from  their  seats,  and  Rufus  with 
them.  Slowly  they  moved  towards  the  door,  and  at 
last  made  their  way  to  the  entrance.  Had  Rufua 
known  who  was  waiting  there,  he  might  have  felt  a 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH  AND   READY.          { 19 

Little  nervous.  But  he  did  not  know,  and  it  devolves 
upon  us  to  explain. 

Three  days  before,  Mr.  Martin,  who  had  been  sen 
tenced  to  the  penitentiary  for  three  months,  on 
account  of  his  attempt  at  picking  pockets,  which  we 
have  already  chronicled,  was  released.  To  say  the 
least,  he  left  the  prison  no  better  than  he  had  entered 
it.  Better  in  one  sense  he  was,  for  he  had  been 
forced  for  three  months  to  abstain  from  drink,  and 
this  he  felt  to  be  a  great  hardship.  But  it  had  a  fa 
vorable  influence  upon  his  health,  and  his  skin  was 
clearer,  and  his  nose  not  quite  so  ruddy  as  when  he 
was  arrested.  But  so  far  as  good  intentions  went,  he 
had  not  formed  any  during  his  exile  from  society,  and 
now  that  he  was  released  he  was  just  as  averse  to 
living  by  honest  industry  as  before. 

However,  his  resources  were  still  limited.  Money 
had  never  been  very  plentiful  with  him,  and  just  at 
present  he  was  not  encumbered  with  any.  It  did  not 
occur  to  him  that  the  shortest  way  to  obtain  some 
was  to  go  to  work ;  or,  if  it  did,  the  suggestion  did 
not  strike  him  favorably.  It  did  occur  to  him,  how 
ever,  that  there  were  charitable  persons  in  the  me- 


120  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  ox, 

tropolis  who  might  be  induced  to  help  him,  and  he 
resolved  to  act  upon  this  suggestion.  Accordingly, 
he  haunted  the  neighborhood  of  the  Academy  of 
Music,  until  the  stream  of  people  began  to  pour  out 
from  it,  and  then  he  felt  that  the  time  had  come  for 
him  to  carry  out  his  plans. 

He  went  up  to  a  gentleman  who  was  coming  out 
with  a  young  lady  leaning  on  his  arm. 

"  Will  you  listen  to  me  a  minute,  sir  ?  "  he  said,  in 
a  whining  tone.  "  I  haven't  eaten  anything  since 
yesterday,  and  I  have  no  money  to  pay  for  a  night's 
lodging." 

"  Why  don't  you  go  to  work?"  said  the  gentleman. 

"  I  can't  get  anything  to  do,  sir.  I've  been  trying 
for  something  all  day." 

The  fact  was  that  Mr.  Martin  had  been  lounging 
about  a  low  bar-room  all  day. 

"  Here,  take  this,  and  clear  the  way." 

The  gentleman,  more  to  get  rid  of  him  than  any 
thing  else,  dropped  five  cents  into  his  hand,  and 
passed  on. 

"  He  might  have  given  a  quarter,"  grumbled  Mar 
tin  ;  "  it  wouldn't  have  hurt  him." 


THE   FORWNFS   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         121 


He  looked  up,  intending  to  make  a  similar  applica 
tion  to  the  next  person,  when  he  uttered  an  exclama 
tion  of  surprise  and  exultation.  Close  before  him  he 
saw  Rufus  and  his  little  sister,  accompanied  by  Misa 
Manning. 


122  RUFV8  AND   &OS& ,    04, 


CHAPTER    XI. 

MR.  MARTIN'S  WILD-GOOSE  CHASE. 

PROBABLY  nothing  could  have  given  Martin  greater 
pleasure  than  this  unexpected  meeting  with  his  step 
children.  He  did  not  reflect  that  the  pleasure  might 
not  be  mutual,  but  determined  to  make  himself 
known  without  delay.  Hurrying  forward,  he  placed 
one  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  Rufus,  saying,  "Glad 
to  see  you,  Rufus  ;  what  have  you  been  up  to  lately9 
Here's  Rose  too,  I  expect  she's  glad  to  see  me." 

At  the  first  sound  of  his  voice  poor  Rose  began  to 
tremble.  Clinging  closer  to  her  brother,  she  said, 
"  Don't  let  him  take  me,  Rufie." 

"He  shan't  touch  you,  Rose,"  said  Rufus,  man 
fully. 

"  You  don't  seem  very  glad  to  see  me,"  swid  Mar 
tin,  smiling  maliciously. 

"  That's  where  you're  right,"  said  Rufus,  bluntly. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  HOUGH  AND   READY.         123 

"  Wo  are  not  glad  to  see  you.  I  suppose  that  don't 
surprise  you  much.  Come  along,  Rose." 

He  tried  to  leave  Martin,  but  Martin  did  not  choose 
to  be  left.  He  shuffled  along  by  the  side  of  our  hero, 
considerably  to  the  disgust  of  the  latter,  who  was 
afraid  he  might  fall  in  with  some  acquaintance  whose 
attention  would  be  drawn  to  the  not  very  respectable- 
looking  object  who  had  accosted  him,  and  learn  the 
relationship  that  existed  between  them. 

"  You  seem  to  be  in  a  hurry,"  sneered  Martin. 

"I  am  in  a  hurry,"  said  Rufus.  "  It's  late  for 
Rose  to  be  out." 

"  That's  what  I  was  thinking,"  said  Martin. 
"  Considerin'  that  I'm  her  natural  protector,  it's  my 
duty  to  interfere." 

"A  pretty  sort  of  protector  you  are!"  retorted 
Rufus,  scornfully. 

"You're  an  undootiful  boy,"  said  Martin,  "to 
speak  so  to  your  father." 

"  Who  do  you  mean?  " 

"Aint  I  your  father?" 

"No,  you  are  not.  If  you  were,  I'd  be  ashamed 
of  you.  Mr.  Martin,  we  haven't  anything  to  do  with 


124  BUFUS  AND  ROSE ;   0/J, 

each  other.  You  can  go  your  way,  and  I'll  go  mine. 
I  shan't  interfere  with  you,  and  I  shan't  allow  you  to 
interfere  with  me." 

"  Ho,  ho  ! "  said  Martin,  "  when  was  you  twenty- 
one,  I'd  like  to  know  ?  " 

"It  doesn't  make  any  difference  when.  Good 
night." 

"  You  don't  get  rid  of  me  so  easy,"  said  Martin. 
"  I'll  follow  you  home." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  corner  of  Broad 
way  and  Union  Square.  Ruftis  was  placed  in  an 
awkward  position.  He  had  no  authority  to  order 
Martin  away.  He  might  follow  them  home,  and 
ascertain  where  they  lived,  and  probably  would  do 
so.  Ruftis  felt  that  this  would  never  do.  Were  their 
home  known  to  Mr.  Martin,  he  would  have  it  in  his 
power  to  lie  in  wait  for  Rose,  and  kidnap  her  as  he 
had  done  once  before.  He  would  never  feel  easy 
about  his  little  sister  under  these  circumstances. 
Yet  what  could  he  do?  If  he  should  quicken  his 
pace,  Martin  would  do- the  same. 

"  What  do  you  want  to  follow  us  for  ? "  he  asked. 
u  What  good  is  it  going  to  do  you  ?  " 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          125 

<k  Don't  you  trouble  yourself  about  that,"  said  Mar* 
tin,  exulting  in  our  hero's  evident  perplexity.  "  Con 
sider  in'  that  you  two  are  my  children,  I  may  want 
to  come  and  see  you  some  time." 

Here  Rose  began  to  cry.  She  had  always  been 
very  much  afraid  of  Martin,  and  feared  now  that  she 
might  fall  into  his  hands. 

"  Don't  cry,  Rose,"  said  Rufus,  soothingly.  "  He 
shan't  do  you  any  harm." 

"  Maybe  he  won't  if  you  treat  him  well,"  said  Mar 
tin.  "  Look  here,  Rufus.  I'm  hard  up  —  dead  broke. 
Haven't  you  a  dollar  to  spare  ?  " 

"  Are  you  going  to  follow  us  ?  " 

"  Maybe  I  won't  if  you'll  give  me  the  dollar." 

"  I  can't  trust  you,"  said  Rufus,  suspiciously. 
"  I'll  tell  you  what,"  he  added,  after  a  little  thought ; 
"  go  up  to  Madison  Park,  and  sit  down  on  one  of  the 
seats,  and  I'll  come  up  in  half  an  hour,  or  three  quar 
ters  at  most,  and  give  you  the  dollar." 

"  Do  you  think  I'm  so  green?"  sneered  Martin. 
"  I  might  stop  there  all  night  without  seein'  you. 
All  you  want  is  a  chance  to  get  away  without  my 
knowin'  where." 


126  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR* 

"  No,"  said  Rufus  ;  "  I'll  do  what  I  promise.  But 
you  must  go  up  there  now,  and  not  follow  us." 

"  That  don't  go  down,"  said  Martin.  "  You  don't 
ketch  a  weasel  asleep." 

"  Well,"  said  Rufus,  coolly,  "  you  can  do  just  as 
you  please.  If  you  accept  my  offer,  you  shall  have  a 
dollar  inside  of  an  hour.  If  you  don't,  you  won't  get 
a  penny." 

Still  Martin  was  not  persuaded.  He  felt  sure  that 
Rufus  meant  to  mislead  him,  and,  being  unreliable 
himself,  he  put  no  confidence  in  the  promise  made  by 
our  hero.  He  prepared  to  follow  him  home,  as  the 
knowledge  of  where  Rose  lived  would  probably  enable 
him  to  extort  more  than  a  dollar  from  the  fear  and 
anxiety  of  Rufus.  So  he  repeated :  — 

"That  don't  go  down!  You  aint  quite  smart 
enough  to  take  me  in.  "  I'm  goin'  to  follow  you,  and 
find  out  where  you  live." 

"  Better  give  him  the  dollar  now,  Rufus,"  suggested 
Miss  Manning,  who  felt  nearly  as  anxious  as  Rose. 

"  No,"  said  Rufus,  decidedly  ;  "  I  shan't  gain  any 
thing  by  it.  As  soon  as  he  got  the  money,  he'd 
follow  us  all  the  same." 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.          127 

"What  will  you  do?"  asked  Miss  Manning, 
anxiously. 

"  You'll  see,"  said  Rufus,  composedly. 

He  had  been  busily  thinking,  and  a  plan  had  sug 
gested  itself  to  his  mind,  which  he  thought  offered 
probably  the  best  way  out  of  the  difficulty.  He  re 
fleeted  that  probably  Mr.  Martin,  judging  from  his 
appearance,  was  penniless,  or  nearly  so.  He  therefore 
decided  to  jump  on  board  a  horse-car,  and  thus  elude 
him. 

When  they  reached  the  corner  of  University  Place, 
a  car  was  seen  approaching. 

Rufus  hailed  it. 

"  Are  we  going  to  ride?"  asked  Rose. 

"  Yes,  Rose  ;  and  now,  whatever  I  do,  I  want  yon 
to  keep  perfectly  still  and  say  nothing.  Will  you 
promise  ?  " 

u  Yes,  Rufie." 

Rufus  exacted  this  promise,  as  Rose  might  uncon 
sciously ,  by  some  unguarded  exclamation,  betray  the 
very  knowledge  which  he  was  anxious  to  conceal. 

Martin  fathomed  the  purpose  of  our  hero,  and  de 
termined  not  be  balked.  He  had  five  cents  which  had 


128  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

just  been  given  him  out  of  charity  at  the  door  of  the 
Academy,  and,  though  the  fare  on  the  horse-cars  was 
one  cent  more,  he  thought  he  might  make  it  do.  Ac 
cordingly  he  got  into  the  car  after  Rufus. 

"  I  couldn't  bear  to  leave  such  agreeable  company," 
he  said,  with  a  leer.  "  Horse-cars  are  free,  I  believe.* 

"  I  believe  they  are,"  said  Rufus. 

"  I  wonder  how  much  money  he's  got,"  thought  our 
hero.  "  I  guess  I  can  drain  him  after  a  while." 

The  conductor  came  along,  and  Rufus  paid  for 
Miss  Manning  and  Rose,  as  well  as  himself.  Martin 
was  hanging  on  a  strap  near  by. 

"  Your  fare,"  said  the  conductor. 

Martin  plunged  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  and  drew 
out  five  cents.  He  plunged  his  hand  in  again,  and 
appeared  to  be  hunting  about  for  the  extra  penny. 

" I  declare,"  said  he,  "I  believe  I've  lost  the  other 
cent.  Won't  five  cents  do?  " 

"  Couldn't  let  you  ride  under  six  cents,"  said  the 
conductor.  "  It's  against  the  rules." 

"  I  can't  see  where  it  is,"  said  Martin,  hunting 
again. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH  AND   READY.         129 

"  I'll  pay  the  other  penny,"  said  a  gentleman  sit 
ting  near. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Martin.  "  Very  much 
obliged  to  you.  I'm  a  poor  man  ;  but  it's  on  account 
of  some  undutiful  children  that  I've  spent  all  my 
money  on,  and  now  they  begrudge  their  poor  father  a 
few  pennies." 

He  looked  at  Rufus  ;  but  our  hero  did  not  see  fit  to 
apply  the  remark  to  himself,  nor,  considering  that  he 
used  to  help  support  Martin,  did  he  feel  any  particu 
lar  remorse. 

If  Martin  had  been  a  more  respectable-looking 
object,  if  his  nose  had  been  a  trifle  less  red,  and  his 
whole  appearance  less  suggestive  of  intemperate 
habits,  the  remark  he  had  let  fall  might  have  stirred 
some  of  his  listeners  to  compassion.  But  no  one,  to 
look  at  him,  would  wonder  much  at  a  want  of  filial 
affection  towards  such  a  father.  So,  though  he 
looked  round  to  notice  the  effect,  hoping  that  he 
might  elicit  some  sympathy  which  should  take  a 
pecuniary  form,  he  perceived  that  his  appeal  had 
fallen  upon  stony  ground.  Nobod}*  seemed  particu- 
9 


130  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

larly  impressed,  and  the  hope  of  a  contribution  from 
some  compassionate  listener  faded  out. 

Rufus  was  a  witness  of  this  scene,  and  of  course  it 
enabled  him  to  fathom  Martin's  resources.  He  con 
gratulated  himself  that  they  were  so  speedily  ex 
hausted.  He  did  not  get  out  when  the  car  reached 
Waverley  Place,  for  obvious  reasons,  but  kept  on  till 
they  came  to  Bleecker  Street.  Eose  was  about  to  ex 
press  surprise,  but  a  look  from  Rufus  checked  her. 

At  Bleecker  Street  he  signalled  to  the  conductor  to 
stop.  The  latter  obeyed  the  signal,  and  our  hero  got 
out,  followed  not  only  by  Rose  and  Miss  Manning, 
but,  as  might  have  been  expected,  also  by  Martin. 

"  You  don't  get  rid  of  me  so  easy,"  said  the  latter, 
triumphantly. 

"Don't  I?"  asked  Rufus,  coolly.  "Are  you 
going  to  follow  me  still?" 

Martin  answered  in  the  affirmative,  with  an  oath. 

"  Then,"  said  Rufus,  coolly,  "  I'll  give  you  all  the 
following  you  want  to  do." 

A  car  bound  in  the  opposite  direction  wa&  ap- 
\  roaching.  Rufus  hailed  it,  and  it  came  to  a  stop. 

Martin,  who  had  not  been  anticipating  this  move. 


THE    FORTUNES    OF  HOUGH    AND   READY.          131 

stopped  a  moment,  staring,  crestfallen,  at  "Rufus; 
but,  recovering  himself  quickly,  jumped  on  the  plat 
form,  resolved  to  try  his  luck. 

Rufus  paid  his  fare.  Martin  didn't  volunteer  to 
pay  his,  but  looked  steadily  before  him,  hoping  that 
he  might  escape  the  conductor's  observation.  But 
the  latter  was  too  sharp  for  that. 

"  Fare?"  he  said. 

UA11  right,"  said  Martin,  plunging  his  hand  into 
his  pocket.  Of  course  he  drew  out  nothing,  as  he 
anticipated. 

"  I  declare,"  he  said ;  "I  believe  I  haven't  any 
money  with  me." 

"  Then  get  off.' 

"Couldn't  you  let  me  off  this  time?"  asked  Mar 
tin,  insinuatingly ;  "  I'm  a  poor  man." 

"So  am  I,"  said  the  conductor,  bluntly.  " You 
must  get  off." 

"  Isn't  there  any  gentleman  that'll  lend  a  poor  man 
six  cents  ?  "  asked  Martin,  looking  round. 

But  nobody  seemed  disposed  to  volunteer  assist 
ance,  and  Martin  was  compelled  relur  tantly  to  jump  off. 

But  he  didn't  give  up  yet.     The  car  didn't  go  sc 


J32  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OTJ, 

fast  but  that  he  could  keep  up  with  it  by  running. 
It  chafed  him  that  Rufus  should  get  the  better  of 
him,  and  he  ran  along  on  the  sidewalk,  keeping  the 
car  continually  in  sight. 

"  He's  running,"  said  Miss  Manning,  looking  out. 
"  What  a  determined  man  he  is  !  I'm  afraid  he'll  find 
us  out." 

"  I'm  not  afraid,"  said  Rufus.  "  He'll  get  tired  of 
running  by  the  time  we  get  to  Central  Park." 

"  Shall  you  ride  as  far  as  that?" 

"  If  necessary." 

For  about  a  mile  Martin  held  out,  but  by  this 
time  he  became  exhausted,  and  dropped  behind 
The  distance  between  him  and  the  car  gradually  in 
creased,  but  still  Rufus  rode  on  for  half  a  mile 
further.  By  this  time  Martin  was  no  longer  in  sight. 

"  We'll  cross  over  to  Sixth  Avenue,"  he  said,  "  so 
that  Martin  may  not  see  us  on  our  return." 

This  suggestion  was  adopted,  luckily,  for  Martin 
had  posted  himself  at  a  favorable  place,  and  was 
scanning  attentively  every  returning  car.  But  he 
waited  and  watched  in  vain  till  long  after  the  objects 
of  his  pursuit  were  safe  at  home  and  in  bed. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGSf  AND    READY.         138 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MARTIN'S  LUCK  TURNS. 

MARTIN  continued  to  watch  for  an  hour  or  two, 
Bitting  in  a  door-way.  At  length  he  was  forced  to 
conclude  that  Rufus  had  given  him  the  slip,  and  this 
tended  by  no  means  to  sweeten  his  temper.  In  fact, 
his  position  was  not  altogether  a  pleasant  one.  It 
was  now  past  midnight,  and,  having  no  money,  he 
saw  no  other  way  than  to  spend  the  night  in  the 
street.  Besides  he  was  hungry,  and  that  was  a  com 
plaint  which  was  likely  to  get  worse  instead  of 
better.  As  for  Rufus,  Martin  had  never  before  seen 
him  so  well  dressed,  and  it  seemed  clear  that  he  was 
prospering. 

"  He's  an  ungrateful  young  rascal,"  muttered  Mar 
tin,  —  "  livin'  in  ease  and  comfort,  while  I  am  left  to 
starve  in  the  street ! " 

It  would  have  been  rather  hard  to  tell  what  Rufus 
had  to  be  grateful  for,  unless  for  the  privilege  which 


134:  RUFUS   AND   ROSE',    07*, 

he  had  enjoyed  for  some  time  of  helping  support  hia 
step-father;  but  Martin  persuaded  himself  that  he 
was  ungrateful  and  undutiful,  and  grew  indignant 
over  his  fancied  wrongs,  as  he  lay  back  in  discomfort 
on  the  stone  step  which  he  had  selected  as  his  rest* 
ing-place. 

The  night  passed  slowly  away,  and  when  the  morn 
ing  light  came  Martin  got  up  very  stiff  and  sore,  and 
more  hungry  than  ever,  and  began  to  wonder  where 
he  was  likely  to  get  any  breakfast.  Begging  seemed 
to  him,  on  the  whole,  the  easiest  way  of  getting  along  ; 
but  it  was  too  early  for  that.  After  a  while,  how 
ever,  the  street  began  to  be  peopled,  an'7  'ae  walked 
np  to  a  gentleman  who  was  approaching,  and,  assum 
ing  a  look  which  he  thought  indicative  of  wretched 
ness,  whined  out,  "  Would  you  be  willing  to  help  a 
poor  man,  sir  ?  " 

The  gentleman  stopped. 

"  So  you  are  poor?"  he  said. 

"Yes,"  said  Martin,  "I  have  been  very  unfor 
tunate." 

"  Why  don't  you  work?" 

"  I  can't  find  any  work  to  do,"  answered  Martin. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  RE  ADI.    155 

"  Haven't  you  got  any  friends  to  help  you  ?  " 

"They've  all  turned  against  me,"  said  Martin. 
"  Even  my  own  children  have  turned  me  out  of  the 
house  to  shift  for  myself." 

" How  old  are  your  children*?"  asked  the  other. 

Martin  hesitated,  for  this  question  was  a  little 
embarrassing. 

"  One  of  them  is  sixteen,"  he  said. 

"A  son?" 

"  Yes." 

"Did  you  support  him,  or  did  he  support  you?" 
was  the  natural  inquiry. 

"  I  supported  him,"  said  Martin ;  "  but  he's  an 
undootiful,  ungrateful  scamp,  and  —  " 

"Then  it  appears  that  he  has  relieved  you  from 
taking  care  of  him,  and  you  have  only  yourself  to 
provide  for.  It  appears  to  me  that  you  ought  to  get 
along  better  than  before." 

"  If  I  could  get  any  work." 

"  What  sort  of  work  do  you  want  to  do?" 

"  If  I  had  a  few  dollars  I  could  set  up  in  some 
light  business." 

"  You  will  have  to  apply  elsewhere  for  the  money. 


136  RUFUS   AND   ROSE;    OR) 

my  friend,"  said  the  gentleman.  "  To  be  frank  with 
you,  your  appearance  doesn't  speak  in  your  favor ; " 
and  he  walked  on. 

"  That's  the  way  the  rich  and  prosperous  treat  the 
poor,"  soliloquized  Martin,  feeling  that  the  whole 
world  was  in  a  conspiracy  against  him.  Those  who 
undertake  to  live  without  work  are  very  apt  to  arrive 
at  such  conclusions. 

Martin  concluded,  on  the  whole,  that  he  wouldn't 
refer  to  being  turned  out  of  his  house  next  time,  as 
it  might  lead  to  embarrassing  questions. 

He  approached  another  gentleman,  and  began  with 
the  same  appeal  for  assistance. 

"What's  the  matter?  Can't  you  work?"  was  the 
reply. 

"I've  had  a  severe  fit  of  sickness,"  said  Martin, 
forcing  a  cough  ;  "  and  I'm  very  feeble.  I  haint  had 
anything  to  eat  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  I've  got  a 
wife  and  five  little  children  dependent  on  me." 

-'  If  that  don't  bring  something,"  thought  Martin, 
M  nothing  will." 

"  Where  do  you  live?" 


i-HE   FORTUNES    OF  HOUGH   AND   HEADT.          137 

"  No.  578  Twenty-Fourth  Street,"  answered  Mai- 
tin,  glibly. 

Now  the  individual  addressed  was  a  gentleman  of 
leisure,  of  a  philanthropic  turn  of  mind,  and  one  who 
frequently  visited  the  poor  at  their  homes.  Martin's 
story  seemed  pitiful,  and  he  concluded  to  inquire  into 
it. 

"  I'm  sorry  for  you,"  he  said.  "  I'll  go  round  witl 
you  and  see  your  family,  and  see  what  can  be  done 
for  them." 

This  was  just  what  Martin  did  not  want.  As  the 
family  he  spoke  of  was  entirely  imaginary,  it  would 
only  result  in  exposure  and  disappointment.  Yet  he 
knew  not  how  to  refuse. 

"I'm  much  obliged  to  you,  sir,"  he  said.  "Fin 
afraid  it  would  be  too  much  trouble." 

"  No,  I've  nothing  pressing  for  an  hour.  I  always 
like  to  relieve  the  unfortunate." 

"What  shall  I  do?"  thought  Martin,  as  he  walked 
by  the  side  of  the  benevolent  stranger.  At  length 
an  idea  struck  him. 

"  It  isn't  everybody  that  would  be  willing  to  risk 
going  with  me,"  he  said. 


138  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  0jz, 

"Why  not?" 

"  They'd  be  afraid  to  come." 

"  Why  ?    What  danger  is  there  ?  " 

"  My  third  child  is  'most  dead  with  the  small-pox," 
answered  Martin,  with  a  very  dejected  look. 

*'  Good  heavens !  and  I  might  have  carried  the 
infection  home  to  my  children,"  exclaimed  the 
stranger,  in  excitement. 

"  Then  you  won't  go  with  me?  "  asked  Martin. 

"  Here,"  said  the  gentleman,  producing  fifty  cents, 
"  here's  a  little  money.  Take  it,  and  I  hope  it'll  do 
jrou  good." 

"  I  reckon  it  will,"  thought  Martin,  as  he  took  the 
money.  "  It'll  buy  me  some  breakfast  and  a  couple 
of  cigars.  That's  a  pretty  good  idea,  havin'  a  child 
sick  with  the  small-pox.  I'll  know  what  to  do  next 
time  anybody  wants  to  go  home  with  me." 

As  soon  as  Martin  found  himself  in  funds  he  took 
measures  to  satisfy  his  appetite.  He  really  had  not 
eaten  anything  since  the  middle  of  the  day  previous, 
and  felt  that  he  could  do  justice  to  a  substantial 
breakfast.  He  walked  along  until  he  came  to  a 
restaurant  where  the  prices  seemed  to  be  reasonable, 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.    139 

and  went  in.  Seating  himself  at  one  of  the  tables, 
he  gave  his  order,  and  presently  a  plate  of  meat  and 
cup  of  coffee  were  placed  before  him.  To  these  he 
devoted  himself  with  such  vigor  that  they  were  soon 
despatched.  Still  Martin's  appetite  was  not  satis 
fied.  Much  as  he  wanted  a  cigar,  the  claims  of 
hunger  were  imperative,  and  he  ordered  breakfast  to 
the  extent  of  his  resources. 

Opposite  him  at  the  table  sat  a  man  of  middle  age, 
with  bushy  whiskers,  and  a  scar  on  his  left  cheek. 
He  wore  a  loose  sack  coat,  and  a  velvet  vest.  His 
thick,  bunchy  fingers  displayed  two  large,  showy 
rings,  set  with  stones,  probably  imitation.  He  fin 
ished  his  breakfast  before  Martin,  but  still  retained 
his  seat,  and  watched  him  rather  attentively.  Martin 
was  too  busily  engaged  to  notice  the  scrutiny  to 
which  he  was  subjected.  After  sitting  a  while  the 
stranger  drew  out  a  cigar,  and,  lighting  it,  began  to 
smoke. 

This  drew  Martin's  attention.  As  the  flavor  of  the 
cigar,  which  was  a  very  good  one,  reached  his  nos 
trils,  he  began  to  feel  a  regret  that  he  had  not  re 
served  a  part  of  his  funds  for  the  purchase  of  a  ci 


140  RUFDS   AND   ROSE;    OR, 

His  opposite  neighbor  observed  his  look,  and,  for  a 
reason  which  will  appear,  saw  fit  to  gratify  Martin's 
desire. 

"I  don't  like  to  smoke  alone,"  he  said,  drawing 
another  cigar  from  his  pocket.  "  Won't  you  have  a 
cigar  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Martin,  eagerly  accepting  it. 
"  You're  very  kind." 

"  Don't  mention  it.  So  you  like  to  smoke.  Light 
it  by  mine." 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin  ;  "I  like  smoking ;  but  I'm  a 
poor  man,  and  I  can't  afford  to  smoke  as  often  as  I 
want  to." 

"Been  unfortunate?"  said  the  stranger,  suggest 
ively. 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  "  luck's  been  ag'inst  me.  I 
couldn't  get  wrork  to  do,  and  my  family  turned  ag'inst 
me  because  I  was  poor.  I've  got  two  children  living 
on  the  fat  of  the  land,  but  one  of  'em  refused  me  a 
dollar  last  night,  and  left  me  to  sleep  in  the  streets.' 

"  That's  bad,"  said  the  other. 

"  He's  an  undootiful  son,"  said  Martin. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READ*.    141 

''Better  luck  by  and  by,"  said  the  stranger 
«  Luck'll  turn,  it's  likely." 

"  I  wish  it  would  turn  pretty  quick,"  said  Martin. 
"  I've  spent  my  last  cent  for  breakfast,  and  I  don't 
know  where  I'm  to  get  my  dinner." 

"  The  world  owes  every  man  a  living,"  remarked 
the  stranger,  sententiously. 

"So  it  does,"  said  Martin.  "  I  don't  see  what's 
the  use  of  bein'  born  at  all,  if  you're  goin'  to  starve 
afterwards." 

"  Very  true.  Now  I'll  tell  you  what  my  principle 
is." 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Martin,  who  was  becoming 
interested  in  his  companion. 

"  If  the  world  owes  me  a  living,  and  isn't  disposed 
to  pay  up  promptly,  I  think  it's  perfectly  right  for  me 
to  collect  the  debt  any  way  I  can." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Martin,  though  he  didn't  exactly 
see  the  other's  drift. 

"For  instance,  if  I  was  starving,  and  my  next 
neighbor  was  a  baker,  and  had  plenty  of  bread,  the 
law  of  self-preservation  justifies  me  in  taking  a  loaf." 

;'  Without  payin'  for  it?" 


142  RVFUS  AND  ROSE;  OTJ, 

"  Yes ;  if  I  havsn't  got  any  money  to  pay.  I**M 
entitled  to  my  share  of  food,  and  if  others  keep  it 
from  me,  I  have  a  right  to  help  myself,  haven't  I  ?  " 

"  That's  so,"  said  Martin  ;  "  only  it's  dangerous." 

"'  Of  course  there  is  a  risk  about  it ;  but  then 
there's  a  risk  in  starving  isn't  there  ?  " 

-t  I  should  think  there  was,"  said  Martin. 

"  I  thought  we  should  agree  pretty  well.  Now  tell 
me  what  you  propose  to  do.  Perhaps  I  can  assist 
you." 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  do,"  said  Martin.  "  I  can't 
get  work.  What  do  you  do  ? " 

"  I'm  in  business,"  said  the  stranger,  evasively. 

"  Couldn't  you  give  me  a  chance,  —  that  is,  if  it 
aint  hard  work?  I  aint  so  strong  as  I  was  once,  and 
I  aint  fit  for  hard  work." 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  may  be  able  to  do  something  for 
you,"  said  the  stranger.  "  If  you'll  walk  with  me  a 
little  way,  we'll  smoke  another  cigar,  and  talk  it 
over.  What  do  you  say  ?  " 

Of  course  Martin  accepted  the  proposal  with 
alacrity.  lie  did  not  want  to  go  back  to  his  work 
as  a  carpenter,  having  lost  all  relish  for  honest 


THE    FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH  AND   READY.         143 

industry.  He  would  rather  beg,  or  do  anything  else 
for  a  living.  He  had  a  very  indefinite  idea  of  the 
nature  of  the  proposal  which  was  coming,  but,  what 
ever  it  might  be,  he  was  not  likely  to  be  shocked  at 
it. 

"  Here,  give  me  your  check,"  said  the  strangei . 

He  paid,  therefore,  for  Martin's  breakfast  as  well 
as  his  own,  leaving  that  gentleman's  fifty  cents  intact. 
Martin  was  not  used  to  such  attention,  and  appre 
ciated  it.  For  the  first  time  he  began  to  think  that 
his  luck  had  really  turned. 

The  two  went  out  into  the  street  together,  and  were 
soon  engaged  in  earnest  conversation. 


Hi  RUFUS  AND  ROSE:  OR. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

MARTIN    MAKES    A   BUSINESS    ENGAGEMENT. 

MARTIN  was  agreeably  surprised  at  the  attention 
paid  him  by  his  new  friend.  There  are  some  who 
have  no  difficulty  in  making  friends  at  first  sight,  but 
this  had  not  often  happened  to  him.  In  fact,  there 
was  very  little  that  was  attractive  or  prepossessing 
about  him,  and  though  he  could  not  be  expected  to 
be  fully  aware  of  that,  he  had  given  up  expecting 
much  on  the  score  of  friendship.  Yet  here  was  a 
stranger,  who,  to  Martin's  undiscrimmating  eyes, 
appeared  quite  the  gentleman,  who  had  given  him  a 
cigar,  paid  his  dinner-bill,  and  treated  him  with  a 
degree  of  attention  to  which  he  was  unaccustomed. 
Martin  felt  that  he  was  in  luck,  and  if  there  was  any 
thing  to  be  made  out  of  his  new  friend  he  was  deter 
mined  to  make  it. 

They  turned  down  a  side  street,  perhaps  because 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          145 

the  stranger's  course  led  that  way,  perhaps  because 
he  was  not  proud  of  his  new  acquaintance. 

"  So  you've  had  poor  luck,"  he  remarked,  by  way 
of  starting  the  conversation. 

"  Yes,"  grumbled  Martin,  "  you  may  say  that. 
Things  have  all  been  ag'inst  me.  It's  a  pretty  hard 
rub  for  a  poor  man  to  get  a  livin'  here." 

"Just  so,"  said  the  other.  "WUAt's  your  busi 
ness  ?  " 

"  I'm  a  carpenter." 

"  And  you  can't  find  work?  " 

"  No,"  said  Martin.  "  Besides,"  he  ad&\J,  After  a 
pause,  "  my  health  aint  very  good.  Hard  tnvk  ion't 
agree  with  me." 

He  might  have  said  that  hard  drinking  did  not 
agree  with  him,  and  this  would  have  been  rather 
nearer  the  truth.  But  he  was  afraid  his  new  friei>d 
would  offer  to  find  him  employment  as  a  carpenter, 
and  for  this  he  was  not  very  anxious.  There  hat 
been  a  time  when  he  was  content  to  work  early  and 
late,  for  good  wages,  but  he  had  of  late  years  led 
such  a  shiftless  and  vagabond  life,  that  honest  indus 
try  had  no  more  attraction  for  him,  and  he  preferred 
10 


146  KUPUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

to  get  his  living  by  hook  or  crook,  in  fact  in  any 
way  he  could,  rather  than  take  the  most  direct  path 
to  a  good  living  by  working  hard  for  it." 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  James  Martin.     What's  yours  ?" 

"  Mine,"  said  the  stranger,  pausing,  and  fixing  his 
eyes  thoughtfully  upon  Martin  ;  "  well,  you  may  call 
me  Smith." 

"  That  aint  a  very  uncommon  name,"  said  Martin, 
thinking  he  had  perpetrated  a  good  joke. 

"Just  so,"  said  the  stranger,  composedly.  "I've 
been  told  so  often." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Smith,  do  you  think  you  could  help 
me  to  some  light  business  that  wouldn't  be  too  hard 
on  my  health?" 

"Perhaps  I  might,"  said  the  other.  "What  do 
you  think  you  would  like  ?  " 

"Why,"  said  Martin,  "if  I  only  had  a  little  capi 
tal,  I  could  set  up  a  small  cigar  store,  or  maybe  a 
drinkin*  saloon." 

"  That  would  be  light  and  genteel,  no  doubt,"  said 
Smith,  "but  confining.  You'd  have  to  be  in  the 
store  early  and  late." 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.         147 

"I  might  have  a  boy  to  stay  there  when  I  wanted 
to  go  out,"  suggested  Martin. 

"  Su  you  might,"  said  the  other.  "  There  doesn't 
seem  any  objection,  if  you  can  only  raise  the 
capital." 

This  was  rather  a  powerful  objection,  however, 
especially  as  Mr.  Smith  offered  no  encouragement 
about  supplying  the  capital  himself.  Martin  saw 
this,  and  he  added,  "  I  only  mentioned  this.  I  aint 
any  objection  to  anything  else  that's  light  and  easy. 
Do  you  think  of  anything  I  could  do  ?  " 

"  I  may  be  able  to  throw  something  in  your  way," 
said  Mr.  Smith.  "  But,  first,  I  must  ask  you  a  ques 
tion  .  Can  you  keep  a  secret  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  "  just  as  many  as  you  like." 

"Because  the  business  which  I  have  to  propose  is 
of  rather  a  confidential  character,  and  a  great  deal 
depends  on  its  being  kept  secret." 

"  All  right ;  I'm  your  man  then." 

"  When  I  saw  you  in  the  restaurant,"  said  Smith, 
"it  struck  me  that  you  might  answer  our  purpose. 
You  look  as  if  you  could  be  trusted." 

"  So  T  can  be,"  said  Martin,  pleased  with  the  com- 


148  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

pliment.  "  I'll  never  say  a  word  about  the  matter 
What  is  it?" 

"You  shall  learn  presently, —  that  is,  if  my  part 
ner  thinks  we  had  better  engage  you." 

"  Where  is  your  place  of  business?" 

"  We  will  go  there.  Let  us  jump  into  this  horse- 
car." 

They  had  reached  Eighth  Avenue,  and  entered  a 
car  bound  downwards.  When  the  conductor  came 
along,  Smith  said,  "  I  pay  for  two,"  indicating  Mar 
tin.  This  was  fortunate ;  for  Martin's  purse  was  at 
a  low  ebb,  his  entire  stock  of  money  being  limited  to 
fifty  cents. 

They  rode  some  fifteen  minutes,  at  the  end  of 
which  Smith  signalled  to  the  conductor  to  stop. 

"  We  get  out  here,"  he  said  to  Martin. 

Martin  jumped  out  after  him,  and  they  turned 
westward  down  one  of  the  streets  leading  to  the 
North  River. 

"  Is  it  much  farther?"  asked  Martin. 

"  Not  much." 

"  It's  rather  an  out-of-the-way  place  for  business, 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.         149 

isn't  it  ?  "  remarked  Martin,  observing  that  the  street 
was  lined  with  dwelling-houses  on  either  side. 

"  For  most  kinds  of  business  it  is,"  said  his  new 
acquaintance ;  "  but  it  suits  us.  We  like  a  quiet, 
out-of-the-way  place/' 

"  Are  you  in  the  wholesale  business  ?  "  asked  Mar 
tin,  whose  curiosity  began  to  be  considerably  excited. 

"  Something  of  that  sort,"  answered  the  stranger. 
*'  Ah,  here  we  are ! " 

The  house  before  which  he  stopped  was  a  brick 
dwelling-house,  of  three  stories.  The  blinds  were 
closed,  and  it  might  have  been  readily  supposed  that 
no  one  lived  there.  Certainly  nothing  could  have 
looked  less  like  a  place  of  business,  so  far  as  out 
ward  appearance  went,  and  Martin,  whose  percep 
tions  were  not  very  acute,  saw  this,  and  was  puzzled. 
Still  his  companion  spoke  so  quietly  and  composedly, 
and  seemed  to  understand  himself  so  well,  that  he 
did  not  make  any  remark. 

Instead  of  pulling  the  bell,  Mr.  Smith  drew  a  latch 
key  from  his  pocket,  and  admitted  himself. 

"  Come  in,  Mr.  Martin,"  he  said. 


150  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

Martin  stepped  into  the  entry,  and  the  door  was 
closed. 

Before  him  was  a  narrow  staircase,  with  a  faded 
stair-carpet  upon  it.  A  door  was  partly  open  into  a 
room  on  the  right,  but  still  there  was  nothing  visible 
that  looked  like  business. 

"  Follow  me,"  said  Smith,  leading  the  way  up 
stairs. 

Martin  followed,  his  curiosity,  if  anything,  greater 
than  before. 

They  went  into  a  front  room  on  the  second  floor. 

"  Excuse  me  a  moment,"  said  Smith. 

Martin  was  left  alone,  but  in  two  minutes  Smith 
returned  with  a  tall,  powerful-looking  man,  whose 
height  was  such  that  he  narrowly  escaped  being  a 
giant. 

"Mr.  Martin,"  said  Smith,  "this  is  my  partner, 
Mr.  Hayes." 

"  Proud  to  make  your  acquaintance,  I  am  sure,  Mr. 
Hayes,"  said  Martin,  affably.  "  I  met  your  partner 
this  mornin'  in  an  eatin'-house,  and  he  said  you 
might  have  a  job  for  me.  My  health  aint  very  good, 
but  I  could  do  light  work  well  enough." 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         151 

"Did  you  tell  Mr.  Martin,"  said  the  giant,  in  a 
hoarse  voice  that  sounded  as  if  he  had  a  cold  of  sev 
eral  years'  standing,  'l  that  our  business  is  of  a  con 
fidential  nature?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  "  I  understand  that.  I  can 
keep  a  secret." 

"It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  you  should,"  said 
Hayes.  "  You  say  you  can,  but  how  can  I  be  sure 
of  it?" 

"  I'll  give  you  my  word,"  said  Martin. 

The  giant  looked  down  upon  Martin,  and  ejacu 
lated,  "  Humph ! "  in  a  manner  which  might  be 
interpreted  to  convey  some  doubt  as  to  the  value  of 
Martin's  word.  However,  even  if  Martin  had  been 
aware  of  this,  he  was  not  sensitive,  and  would  not 
have  taken  offence. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  take  your  oath  that  you  will 
never  reveal,  under  any  circumstances,  anything  con 
nected  with  our  business  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  eagerly,  his  curiosity  being 
greater  than  ever. 

There  was  a  Bible  on  the  table.  Hayes  cast  his 
in  that  direction,  but  first  said  something  in  a 


152  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

low  voice  to  Smith.  The  latter  drew  a  small  brass 
key  from  his  pocket,  and  opened  a  cupboard,  or  small 
closet  in  the  wall,  from  which,  considerably  to  Mar 
tin's  alarm,  he  drew  out  a  revolver  and  a  knife. 
These  he  laid  on  the  table  beside  the  book. 

"  What's  that  for  ?  "  asked  Martin,  with  an  uneasy 
glance  at  the  weapons. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  it's  for,  my  friend,"  said  the 
giant.  "It's  to  show  you  what  your  fate  will  be 
if  you  ever  reveal  any  of  our  secrets.  Perhaps  you 
don't  want  to  take  the  risk  of  knowing  what  they 
are.  If  you  don't,  you  can  say  so,  and  go." 

But  Martin  did  not  want  to  go,  and  he  did  want  to 
learn  the  secrets  more  than  ever. 

"  I'm  ready,"  he  said.     "  I'll  take  the  oath." 

"  Very  well,  you  understand  now  what  it  means. 
Put  your  hand  on  the  book,  and  repeat  after  me: 
4 1  solemnly  swear,  on  the  penalty  of  death  by  pistol 
or  knife,  never  to  reveal  any  secret  I  may  have  im 
parted  to  me  in  this  room.'  " 

Martin  repeated  this  formula,  not  without  a  certain 
shrinking,  not  to  say  creeping,  of  the  flesh. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         153 

"  Now  that  you  have  taken  the  oath,"  said  Smith, 
"  we  will  tell  you  our  secret." 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  eagerly. 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Smith,  in  a  low  voice,  "  we  are 
counterfeiters." 

"  You  don't  say  so  !  "  ejaculated  Martin. 

"  Yes,  there's  a  light,  genteel  business  for  you. 
There  are  all  ways  of  making  a  living,  and  that  isn't 
the  worst." 

u  Does  it  pay  pretty  well?"  asked  Martin,  getting 
interested. 

"  Yes,  it's  a  money-making  business,"  said  Smith, 
with  a  laugh ;  "  but  there's  a  little  prejudice  against 
it,  and  so  we  have  a  very  quiet  place  of  business." 

"  Yes,  I  see,"  said  Martin. 

"  You  see  the  world  owes  us  a  living,"  continued 
Smith,  "  as  you  remarked  this  morning,  and  if  it 
doesn't  come  in  one  way,  it  must  in  another." 

"  Isn't  it  dangerous?  "  asked  Martin. 

"  Not  if  it's  carefully  managed." 

"  What  do  you  want  me  to  do?  " 

"  Supply  money  to  our  agents  chiefly.  It  won't  do 
to  have  too  many  come  to  the  house,  for  it  might 


154  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

excite  suspicion.  You  will  come  every  morning, 
receive  money  and  directions  from  one  of  us,  and 
then  do  as  you  are  bid." 

"  How  much  will  you  give  me?" 

"  What  do  you  say  to  a  hundred  dollars  a 
month?" 

"  In  good  money,"  said  Martin,  his  eyes  sparkling 
with  pleasure. 

"No,  of  course  not.  In  money  of  our  manufac 
ture." 

Martin's  countenance  fell. 

"  First  thing  I  know  I'll  be  nabbed,"  he  said. 

"Not  if  you  are  careful.  We'll  give  y*xi  instruc 
tions.  Do  you  accept  our  terms?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  unhesitatingly. 

"Of  course  you  take  a  risk.  No  gain  without 
risk,  you  know.  But  if  you  are  unlucky,  remember 
your  oath,  and  don't  betray  us.  If  you  do,  you're  a 
dead  man  within  twenty-four  hours  from  the  time  you 
leave  the  prison.  There  are  twenty  men  bound  by  a 
solemn  oath  to  revenge  treachery  by  death.  If  you 
betray  our  secret,  nothing  can  save  you.  Do  you 
understand  ?  " 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.    155 

"  Yes,"  said  Martin,  whose  mind  was  suitably 
impressed  with  the  absolute  necessity  of  silence. 
The  representations  of  his  new  friends  might  or 
might  not  be  true,  but,  at  all  events,  he  believed  them 
to  be  in  earnest,  and  their  point  was  gained. 

"  When  do  you  want  me  to  begin  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  To-day ;  but  first  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to 
be  more  decently  dressed." 

"  These  are  all  the  clothes  I  have,"  returned  Mar 
tin.  "  I've  been  unfortunate,  and  I  haven't  had  any 
money  to  buy  good  clothes  with." 

"  Have  we  any  clothes  in  the  house  that  will  fit 
this  man?"  asked  Smith  of  his  confederate. 

"  I  will  go  and  see." 

The  giant  soon  returned  with  a  suit  of  clothing, 
not  very  fine  or  very  fashionable,  but  elegant  com 
pared  with  that  which  Martin  now  wore. 

"  I  guess  these  will  fit  you,"  he  said.  "  Try  them 
on." 

Martin  made  the  change  with  alacrity,  and  when 
it  had  been  effected,  surveyed  himself  in  a  mirror 
with  considerable  complacency.  His  temporary  ab 
stinence  from  liquor  while  at  the  Island  had  im- 


*56  RUFUS  AND   ROSE;    0/2, 

proved  his  appearance,  and  the  new  suit  gave  him 
quite  a  respectable  appearance.  He  had  no  objection 
to  appearing  respectable,  provided  it  were  at  other 
people's  expense.  On  the  whole,  he  was  in  excellent 
spirits,  and  felt  that  at  length  his  luck  had  turned, 
and  he  was  on  the  high  road  to  prosperity. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         157 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

HOW  RUFUS   SUCCEEDED   IN   BUSINESS. 

VERY  little  has  been  said  of  Rufus  in  his  business 
relations.  When  he  entered  Mr.  Turner's  office,  he 
resolved  to  spare  no  pains  to  make  himself  useful, 
and  his  services  satisfactory  to  his  employer.  He 
knew  very  well  that  he  owed  his  situation  entirely  to 
the  service  which  he  had  accidentally  been  able  to  do 
Mr.  Turner,  and  that,  otherwise,  the  latter  would 
never  have  thought  of  selecting  an  office-boy  from 
the  class  to  which  he  belonged.  But  Rufus  was 
resolved  that,  whatever  might  have  been  his  original 
motive,  he  should  never  regret  the  selection  he  had 
made.  Therefore  he  exerted  himself,  more  than 
under  ordinary  circumstances  he  would  have  done,  to 
do  his  duty  faithfully.  He  tried  to  learn  all  he  could 
of  the  business,  and  therefore  listened  attentively  to 
all  that  was  going  on,  and  in  his  leisure  moments 
studied  up  the  stock  quotations,  so  that  he  was  able 


)58  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

generally  to  give  the  latest  quotations  of  prices  of 
the  prominent  stocks  in  the  market. 

Mr.  Turner,  who  was  an  observant  man,  watched 
him  quietly,  and  was  pleased  with  his  evident  pains 
o  master  the  details  of  the  business. 

"  If  Rufus  keeps  on,  Mr.  Marston,"  he  said  to  his 
chief  clerk,  one  day,  "he  will  make  an  excellent 
business-man  in  time." 

"  He  will,  indeed,"  said  the  clerk.  "  He  is  always 
prompt,  and  doesn't  need  to  be  told  the  same  thing 
twice.  Besides,  he  has  picked  up  a  good  deal  of  out 
side  information.  He  corrected  me  yesterday  on  a 
stock  quotation." 

"He  did  me  a  great  service  at  one  time,  and  I 
mean  to  push  him  as  fast  as  he  will  bear  it.  I 
have  a  great  mind  to  increase  his  pay  to  ten  dollars 
a  week  at  once.  He  has  a  little  sister  to  take  care 
of,  and  ten  dollars  a  week  won't  go  far  in  these 
times." 

"  Plenty  of  boys  can  be  got  for  less,  of  course ;  but 
he  is  one  in  a  hundred/  It  is  better  to  pay  him  ten 
dollars  than  most  boys  five." 

In  accordance  with  this  resolution,  when  Ilufus, 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          159 

who  .had  gone  to  the  bank,  returned,  Mr.  Turner 
called  him.  Rufus  supposed  it  was  to  receive  some 
new  order,  and  was  surprised  when,  instead,  his  en** 
ployer  inquired :  — 

"  How  is  your  little  sister,  Rufus?  " 

"  Very  well,  thank  you,  sir." 

"  Have  you  a  comfortable  boarding-place?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  How  much  board  do  you  pay  ?  " 

"  Eight  dollars  a  week  for  both  of  us,  sir." 

"  That  takes  up  the  whole  of  your  salary,  —  doesn't 
it?" 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  but  I  have  invested  the  money  I  had  in 
a  stationery  store  on  Sixth  Avenue,  and  get  a  third 
of  the  profits.  "With  that  I  buy  clothes  for  myself 
and  sister,  and  pay  any  other  expenses  we  may 
have." 

"  I  see  you  are  a  great  financier,  Rufus.  I  was 
not  aware  that  you  had  a  business  outside  of  mine. 
How  long  have  you  been  with  me  ?  " 

u  About  four  months,  sir." 

"  Your  services  have  been  quite  satisfactory.  I 
took  vou  into  the  office  for  other  reasons  ;  but  I  feel 


160  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

satisfied,  by  what  I  have  noticed  of  you,  that  it  will 
be  well  worth  my  while  to  retain  your  services." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Rufus. 

He  was  exceedingly  gratified  at  this  testimony,  as 
he  had  reason  to  be,  for  he  had  already  learned  that 
Mr.  Turner  was  an  excellent  business-man,  and  bore 
a  high  reputation  in  business  circles  for  probity  and 
capacity. 

"  I  intended,  at  the  end  of  six  months,"  pursued 
Mr.  Turner,  "  to  raise  your  pay  to  ten  dollars  a  week 
if  you  suited  me ;  but  I  may  as  well  anticipate  two 
months.  Mr.  Marston,  you  will  hereafter  pay  Rufus 
ten  dollars  a  week." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Turner," 
said  Rufus ,  gratefully.  "  I  didn't  expect  to  have  my 
pay  raised  for  a  good  while,  for  I  knew  that  I  re 
ceived  more  already  than  most  office-boys.  I  have 
tried  to  do  my  duty,  and  shall  continue  to  do  so." 

"  That  is  the  right  way,  Rufus,"  said  his  employer, 
kindly.  "  It  will  be  sure  to  win  success.  You  are 
working  not  only  for  me,  but  most  of  all  for  yourself, 
You  are  laying  now  the  foundation  of  future  prosper- 


THE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         161 

ity  When  an  opportunity  occurs,  I  shall  promote 
you  from  the  post  of  errand-boy  to  a  clerkship,  as  I 
judge  from  what  I  have  seen  that  you  will  be  quite 
competent  to  fill  such  a  position." 

This  intelligence  was  of  course  very  gratifying  to 
Rufus.1  He  knew  that  as  jet  he  was  on  the  lowest 
round  of  the  ladder,  and  he  had  a  commendable  desire 
to  push  his  way  up.  He  saw  that  Mr.  Turner  was 
well  disposed  to  help  him,  and  he  resolved  that  he 
would  deserve  promotion. 

"When  he  returned  home  to  supper,  he  carried  to 
Miss  Manning  and  Rose  the  tidings  of  his  increase  of 
pay,  and  the  encouraging  words  which  had  been 
spoken  by  Mr.  Turner. 

"  I  am  not  surprised  to  hear  it,  Rufus,"  said  Miss 
Manning.  "  I  felt  sure  you  would  try  to  do  your 
duty,  and  I  knew  you  had  the  ability  to  succeed." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  good  opinion  of  me,"  said 
Rufus. 

"  I  can  tell  you  of  some  one  else  who  has  a  good 
opinion  of  you,"  said  Miss  Manning. 

"  Who  is  it?" 

"  Mrs.  Clifton.     She  said  this  forenoon,  that  she 
11 


162  RVFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/r, 

considered  you  one  of  the  most  agreeable  and  wittiest 
young  men  she  was  acquainted  with." 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  to  blush,"  said  Rufus ;  "  but 
blushing  isn't  in  nry  line.  I  hope  Mr.  Clifton  won't 
hear  of  it.  He  might  be  jealous." 

"  He  doesn't  seem  much  inclined  that  way,"  said 
Miss  Manning. 7 

At  this  moment  Mrs.  Clifton  herself  entered. 

"  Good-evening,  Mr.  Rushton,"  she  said.  "  Where 
do  you  think  I  called  this  afternoon  ?  " 

"  I  couldn't  guess." 

"  At  your  store  in  Sixth  Avenue." 

"I  hope  you  bought  something.  I  expect  my 
friends  to  patronize  me." 

"  Yes.  I  bought  a  package  of  envelopes.  I  told 
Mr.  Black  I  was  a  friend  of  yours,  so  he  let  me  have 
it  at  the  wholesale  price." 

"  Then  I'm  afraid  I  didn't  make  anything  on  that 
sale.  When  I  want  some  dry  goods  may  J  tell  your 
husband  that  I  am  a  friend  of  yours,  and  ask  him  to 
let  me  have  it  at  the  wholesale  price  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 


7 HE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         1G3 

"  I'hen  I  shall  take  an  early  opportunity  to  buy  a 
spool  of  cotton." 

"  Can  you  sew?" 

"  I  never  took  in  any  fine  work  to  do,  but  if  you've 
got  any  handkerchiefs  to  hem,  I'll  do  it  on  reasonable 
terms." 

44  How  witty  you  are,  Mr.  Rushton  !  " 

"  I  am  glad  you  think  so,  Mrs.  Clifton.  I  never 
found  anybody  else  who  could  appreciate  me." 

Several  days  had  passed  since  the  accidental  en 
counter  with  Martin  outside  of  the  Academy  of  Music. 
Rufus  began  to  hope  that  he  had  gone  out  of  the  city, 
though  he  hardly  expected  it.  Such  men  as  Martin  pre 
fer  to  live  from  hand  to  mouth  in  a  great  city,  rather 
than  go  to  the  country,  where  they  would  have  less  diffi 
culty  in  earning  an  honest  living.  At  any  rate  he 
had  successfully  baffled  Martin's  attempts  to  learn 
where  Rose  and  he  were  boarding.  But  he  knew  Ins 
step-father  too  well  to  believe  that  he  had  got  rid  of 
him  permanently.  Pie  had  no  doubt  he  would  turn 
up  sooner  or  later,  and  probably  give  him  additional 
trouble. 

He  turned  up  sooner  than  Rufus  expected. 


1C4  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

The  next  morning,  when  on  the  way  from  the  bank 
with  a  tin  box  containing  money  and  securities,  he 
suddenly  came  upon  Martin  standing  in  front  of  the 
general  post  office,  with  a  cigar  in  his  mouth.  The 
respectable  appearance  which  Martin  presented  in  his 
new  clothes  filled  Rufus  with  wonder,  and  he  could 
not  avoid  staring  at  his  step-father  with  surprise. 

"  Hillo ! "  said  Martin,  his  eye  lighting  up  with 
malicious  pleasure.  "  So  you  didn't  know  me,  eh?" 

"  No,"  said  Rufus. 

"  I'm  in  business  now." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Rufus. 

"  I  get  a  hundred  dollars  a  month." 

"  I'm  glad  you  are  prosperous,  Mr.  Martin." 

"  Maybe  you'll  be  more  willing  to  own  the  relation 
ship  now." 

"  I'm  glad  for  your  sake  only,"  said  Rufus. 
"  I  can  take  care  of  Rose  well  enough  alone.  But  I. 
must  be  going." 

"  All  right !     I'll  go  along  with  you." 

"  I  am  in  a  hurry,"  said  Rufus,  uneasily. 

"I  can  walk  as  fast  as  you,"  said  Martin,  mall* 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         1G5 

ciously.  "  Seem'  you're  my  step-son,  I'd  like  to 
know  what  sort  of  a  place  you've  got." 

The  street  being  free  to  all,  Rufus  could  not  shake 
off  his  unwelcome  companion,  nor  could  he  evade  him, 
as  it  was  necessarj"  for  him  to  go  back  to  the  office  at 
once.  He  consoled  himself,  however,  by  the  reflection 
that  at  any  rate  Martin  wouldn't  find  out  his  board 
ing-place,  of  which  he  was  chiefly  afraid,  as  it  might 
affect  the  safety  of  Rose. 

"What  have  you  got  in  that  bos:?"  asked  Mar 
tin. 

" 1  don't  care  to  tell,"  said  Rufus. 

"  I  know  well  enough.  It's  money  and  bonds, 
You're  in  a  broker's  office,  aint  you?" 

"  I  can't  stop  to  answer  questions,"  said  Rufus, 
coldly.  "  I'm  in  a  hurry." 

"  I'll  find  out  in  spite  of  you,"  said  Martin.  "  You 
can't  dodge  me  as  easy  as  last  time.  I  aint  so  poor 
as  I  was.  Do  you  see  that  ?  " 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  out  a  roll  of  bills  (they  were 
counterfeit,  but  Rufus,  of  course,  was  not  aware  of 
that),  and  displayed  them. 

Our  hero  was  certainly  astonished  at  this  display 


166  RUFUS  AND   ROSE ;    O/J, 

of  wealth  on  the  part  of  his  step-father,  and  was  puz 
zled  to  understand  how  in  the  brief  interval  since 
he  last  saw  him  he  could  have  become  so  favored 
by  fortune,  but  his  conjectures  were  interrupted  by 
his  arrival  at  the  office. 

"  TURNER  ! "  repeated  Martin  to  himself,  observing 
the  sign.  "  So  this  is  where  my  dootiful  step-son  is 
employed.  Well,  I'm  glad  to  know  it.  It'll  come 
handy  some  day." 

So  saying,  he  lighted  a  fresh  cigar,  and  sauntered 
away  with  the  air  of  a  man  of  independent  means, 
who  had  come  down  to  Wall  Street  to  look  after  his 
investments. 


FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH  AND   READY.          167 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE   TIN   BOX. 

"  I  MET  my  dootiful  son  this  mornin',"  remarked 
Martin  to  his  employer,  at  their  next  interview. 

"Did  you?"  said  Smith,  carelessly,  for  he  felt 
little  interest  in  Martin's  relations. 

"  Yes  ;  he's  in  business  in  Wall  Street." 

"How's  that?"  asked  Smith,  his  attention  ar- 
rested  by  this  statement. 

"  He's  with  Turner,  the  banker.  He  was  going  to 
the  bank,  with  a  tin  box  under  his  arm.  I'd  like  to 
have  the  money  there  was  in  it." 

"  Did  he  tell  you  there  was  money  in  it?  " 

"  No  ;  but  I'll  bet  there  was  enough  in  it  to  make 
a  poor  man  rich." 

"  Perhaps  so,"  said  Smith,  thoughtfully. 

"How  old  is  your  son?"  he  inquired,  after  a 
pause. 

"Fifteen  or  sixteen,  I've  forgotten  which.     Yon 


168  RUFUS  AND  ROSE:  o/?, 

see  he  isn't  my  own  son  ;  I  married  his  mother,  who 
was  a  widder  with  two  children ;  that's  the  way  of 
it." 

"  I  supjtose  he  doesn't  live  with  you." 

"  No  ;  he's  an  undootiful  boy.  He  haint  no  grati 
tude  for  all  I've  done  for  him.  He  wouldn't  care  if  I 
starved  in  the  street." 

"  That  shows  a  bad  disposition,"  said  Smith,  who 
seemed  disposed  to  protract  the  conversation  for 
some  purposes  of  his  own. 

"Yes,"  said  Martin,  wiping  his  eyes  pathetically 
with  a  red  handkerchief;  "  he's  an  ungrateful  young 
scamp.  He's  set  my  little  daughter  Rose  ag'inst  me, 
—  she  that  set  everything  by  me  till  he  made  her 
believe  all  sorts  of  lies  about  me." 

"  Why  don't  you  come  up  with  him? " 

"  I  don't  know  how." 

"  I  suppose  you  would  have  no  objections  if  I 
should  tell  you." 

"  No,"  said  Martin,  hesitating ;  "  that  is,  if  it 
aint  dangerous.  If  I  should  give  him  a  lickin*  in  the 
street,  he'd  call  the  police,  and  swear  I  wasn't  his 
father." 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         169 

"  That  isn't  what  I  mean.  I'll  think  it  over,  and 
tell  you  by  and  by.  Now  we'll  talk  about  business." 

It  was  not  until  the  next  day  that  Smith  unfolded 
to  Martin  his  plan  of  "  coming  up  with"  Rufus.  It 
was  of  so  bold  a  character  that  Martin  was  startled, 
and  at  first  refused  to  have  any  part  in  it,  not  from 
any  conscientious  scruples,  —  for  Martin's  conscience 
was  both  tough  and  elastic,  —  but  solely  because  he 
was  a  coward,  and  had  a  wholesome  dread  of  the 
law.  But  Smith  set  before  him  the  advantages 
which  would  accrue  to  him  personally,  in  so  attractive 
a  manner,  that  at  length  he  consented,  and  the  two 
began  at  once  to  concoct  arrangements  for  success 
fully  carrying  out  the  little  plan  agreed  upon. 

Not  to  keep  the  reader  in  suspense,  it  was  no  less 
than  forcibly  depriving  Rufus  of  the  tin  box,  some 
morning  "on  his  way  home  from  the  bank.  This 
might  bring  Rufus  into  trouble,  while  Martin  and 
Smith  were  to  share  the  contents,  which,  judging 
from  the  wealth  of  Mr.  Turner,  were  likely  to  be  of 
considerable  value. 

"There  may  be  enough  to  make  your  fortune," 
suggested  Smith. 


170  RUFVS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  If  I  don't  get  nabbed." 

"Oh,  there'll  be  no  danger,  if  you  will  manage 
things  as  I  direct  you." 

"I'll  have  all  the  danger,  and  you'll  share  the 
profits,"  grumbled  Martin. 

"Isn't  the  idea  mine?"  retorted  Smith.  "Is  it 
the  soldiers  who  get  all  the  credit  for  a  victory,  or 
doesn't  the  general  who  plans  the  campaign  receive 
his  share?  Besides,  I  may  have  to  manage  convert 
ing  the  securities  into  cash.  There  isn't  one  chance 
in  a  hundred  of  your  getting  into  trouble  if  you  da 
as  I  tell  you ;  but  if  you  do,  remember  your  oath." 

With  this  Martin  was  forced  to  be  contented.  Ha 
was  only  a  common  rascal,  while  Smith  was  one  of  a 
higher  order,  and  used  him  as  a  tool.  In  the  present 
instance,  despite  his  assurances,  Smith  acknowledged 
to  himself  that  the  plan  he  had  proposed  was  really 
attended  with  considerable  danger,  but  this  he  in- 
gloriously  managed  that  Martin  should  incur,  while 
he  lay  back,  and  was  ready  to  profit  by  it  if  it  should 
prove  successful. 

Meanwhile  Rufus  was  at  work  as  usual,  quite  un 
conscious  of  the  danger  which  menaced  him.  Hia 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          171 

encounter  with  Martin  gave  him  a  little  uneasiness, 
for  he  feared  that  the  latter  might  renew  his  attempts 
to  gain  possession  of  Rose.  Farther  than  this  he  had 
no  fears.  He  wondered  at  the  sudden  improvement 
in  Martin's  fortunes,  and  could  not  conjecture  what 
business  he  could  have  engaged  in  -which  would  give 
him  a  hundred  dollars  a  month.  He  might  have 
doubted  his  assertion,  but  that  his  unusually  respect 
able  appearance,  and  the  roll  of  bills  which  he  had 
displayed,  seemed  to  corroborate  his  statement.  He 
was  glad  that  his  step-father  was  doing  well,  having 
no  spite  against  him,  provided  he  would  not  molest 
him  and  Rose. 

He  decided  not  to  mention  to  Rose  or  Miss  Man 
ning  that  he  had  met  Martin,  as  it  might  occasion 
them  anxiety.  He  contented  himself  by  warning 
them  to  be  careful,  as  Martin  was  no  doubt  still  in 
the  city,  and  very  likely  prowling  round  in  the  hopes 
of  finding  out  where  they  lived. 

It  was  towards  the  close  of  business  hours  that  Mr. 
Marston,  the  head  clerk,  handed  Rufus  a  tin  box, 
saying,  "  Rufus,  you  may  carry  this  round  to  th* 
Bank  of  the  Commonwealth." 


'72  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Rufus. 

It  was  one  of  his  daily  duties,  and  he  took  the  bos 
is  a  matter  of  course,  and  started  on  his  errand 
When  he  first  entered  the  office,  the  feeling  that 
property  of  value  was  committed  to  his  charge  gave 
dim  a  feeling  of  anxious  responsibility ;  but  now  he 
aad  become  used  to  it,  and  ceased  to  think  of  danger. 
Probably  he  would  have  felt  less  security,  had  he 
seen  Mr.  Martin  prowling  about  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  street,  his  eyes  attentively  fixed  on  the  en 
trance  to  Mr.  Turner's  office.  When  Martin  saw 
Rufus  depart  on  his  errand,  he  threw  away  the  cigar 
he  had  in  his  mouth,  and  crossed  the  street.  He  fol 
lowed  Rufus  closely,  unobserved  by  our  hero,  to 
whom  it  did  not  occur  to  look  back. 

"It's  a  risky  business,"  thought  Martin,  rather 
nervously.  "  I  wish  I  hadn't  undertaken  it.  Ten  to 
one  I'll  get  nabbed." 

He  was  more  than  half  inclined  to  give  up  his 
project ;  but  if  he  should  do  so  he  knew  he  would  get 
into  disgrace  with  his  employers.  Besides,  the  in 
ducements  held  out  to  him  were  not  small.  He 
looked  covetously  at  the  tin  box  under  the  arm  of 


THE    FORTUNES   OF  ROiSGH   AND   READY.          173 

Rnfus.  and  speculated  as  to  the  value  of  the  contents 
Half  of  it  would  perhaps  make  him  a  rich  man.     The 
stake  was  worth  playing  for,  and  he  plucked  up  cour 
age  and  determined  to  proceed. 

Circumstances  favored  his  design. 

Before  going  to  the  bank,  Rufus  was  obliged  to 
carry  a  message  to  an  office  on  the  second  floor  of  a 
building  on  Wai]  Street. 

"  This  is  my  opportunity,"  thought  Martin. 

He  quickened  his  steps,  and  as  Rufus  placed  his 
foot  on  the  lower  step  of  the  staircase,  he  was  close 
upon  him.  Hearing  the  step  behind  him,  our  hero 
turned,  only  in  time  to  receive  a  violent  blow  in  the 
face,  which  caused  him  to  fall  forward.  He  dropped 
the  box  as  he  fell,  which  was  instantly  snatched  by 
Mr.  Martin,  who  lost  no  time  in  making  his  escape. 

The  blow  was  so  violent  that  Rufus  was  for  the 
moment  stunned.  It  was  only  for  a  moment,  how 
ever.  He  quickly  recovered  himself,  and  at  once 
realized  his  position.  He  knew,  also,  that  it  was 
Martin  who  had  snatched  the  box,  for  he  had  rec 
ognized  him  during  the  instant  of  time  that  preceded 
the  blow. 


174  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR^ 

He  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  dashed  into  the  street, 
looking  eagerly  on  either  side  for  the  thief.  But 
Martin,  apprehending  immediate  pursuit,  had  slipped 
into  a  neighboring  door-way,  and,  making  his  way  up 
stairs,  remained  in  concealment  for  ten  minutes. 
Not  suspecting  this,  Rufus  hastened  to  Nassau  Street, 
and  ran  toward  the  bank,  looking  about  him  eagerly 
for  Martin.  The  latter,  in  the  mean  while,  slipped 
out  of  the  door-way,  and  hurried  by  a  circuitous 
course  to  Fulton  Ferry,  where  Smith  had  arranged 
to  meet  him  and  relieve  him  of  the  tin  box. 

"Have  you  got  it?"  asked  Smith,  who  had  been 
waiting  anxiously  for  over  an  hour. 

"  Here  it  is,"  said  Martin,  "  and  I'm  glad  to  be  rid 
of  it.  I  wouldn't  do  it  again  for  a  thousand  dol 
lars." 

"  I  hope  you'll  get  more  than  that  out  of  it,"  said 
Smith,  cheerfully.  "  You've  done  well.  Did  you 
*iave  much  trouble?  " 

"  Not  much  ;  but  I  had  to  work  quick.  I  followed 
him  into  a  door-way,'  and  then  grabbed  it.  When'll 
you  divide?" 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          175 

41  Come  round  to  the  house  this  evening,  and  we'll 
attend  to  it." 

"Honor  bright?" 

"  Of  course." 

Meanwhile  Rufus,  in  a  painful  state  of  excitement, 
ran  this  way  and  that,  in  the  faint  hope  of  setting 
eyes  upon  the  thief.  He  knew  very  well  that  however 
innocent  he  had  been  in  the  matter,  and  however 
impossible  it  was  for  him  to  foresee  and  prevent  the 
attack,  the  loss  would  subject  him  to  suspicion,  and 
it  might  be  supposed  that  he  had  connived  at  the 
theft.  His  good  character  was  at  stake,  and  all  his 
bright  prospects  were  imperilled. 

Meeting  a  policeman,  he  hurriedly  imparted  to  him 
the  particulars  of  the  theft,  and  described  Martin. 

"A  tall  man  with  a  blue  coat  and  slouched  hat," 
repeated  the  officer.  "  I  think  I  saw  him  turn  into 
Wall  Street  half  an  hour  ago.  Was  his  nose  red  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Rufus." 

"  He  hasn't  come  back  this  way,  or  I  should  have 
seen  him.  He  must  have  gone  the  other  way,  or 
else  dodged  into  some  side  street  or  door-way.  I'U 
go  back  with  you." 


176  rtuFus  AND  HOSE;  as, 

The  two  went  back  together,  but  it  was  too  late. 
Martin  was  by  this  time  at  some  distance,  hurrying 
towards  Fulton  Ferry. 

Rufus  felt  that  the  matter  was  too  serious  for  him 
to  manage  alone,  and  with  reluctant  step  went  bach 
to  the  office  to  communicate  his  loss.  A  formidable 
task  was  before  him,  and  he  tried  to  prepare  himself 
for  it.  It  would  naturally  be  inferred  that  he  had 
been  careless,  if  not  dishonest,  and  he  knew  that  his 
formerly  having  been  a  street  boy  would  weigh  against 
him.  But,  whatever  might  be  the  consequences,  he 
knew  that  it  was  his  duty  tc  report  the  loss  instantly 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH   AND   READf.         177 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

MR.  VANDERPOOL. 

RUFUS  entered  the  office  as  Mr.  Turner  was  a.bou\ 
to  leave  it. 

"  You  were  rather  long,"  he  said.  "  Were  you 
detained?" 

"  I  wish  that  was  all,  Mr.  Turner,"  said  Rufus,  his 
face  a  little  pale. 

"  What  has  happened?  "  asked  the  banker,  quickly. 

"  The  box  was  stolen  from  me  as  I  was  going  up 
stairs  to  the  office  of  Foster  &  Nevins." 

"  How  did  it  happen?     Tell  me  quickly." 

"  I  had  only  gone  up  two  or  three  steps  when  I 
i^ard  a  step  behind  me.  Turning  to  see  who  it  was, 
I  was  struck  violently  in  the  face,  and  fell  forward. 
When  I  recovered,  the  man  had  disappeared,  and  the 
box  was  gone." 

"Cap   I  depend  upon  the  absolute  truth  of  this 

12 


178  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

statement,  Rufus  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Turner^  looking  in  the 
hoy's  face  searehingly. 

"  You  can,  sir,"  said  Rufus,  proudly. 

u  Can  you  give  any  idea  of  the  appearance  of  the 
man  who  attacked  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  saw  him  for  an  instant  before  the  blow 
was  given,  and  recognized  him." 

"You  recognized  him!"  repeated  the  banker,  in 
surprise.  "  Who  is  he  ?  " 

Our  hero's  face  flushed  with  mortification  as  he 
answered,  "His  name  is  Martin.  He  is  my  step 
father.  He  has  only  just  returned  from  Blackwell's 
Island,  where  he  served  a  term  of  three  months  for 
trying  to  pick  a  man's  pocket." 

"  Have  you  met  him  often  since  he  was  released?  " 
asked  Mr.  Turner. 

"He  attempted  to  follow  me  home  one  evening 
from  the  Academy  of  Music,  but  I  dodged  him.  I 
didn't  want  him  to  know  where  I  boarded,  for  fear  he 
would  carry  off  my  little  sister,  as  he  did  once 
before." 

"  Did  he  know  you  were  in  my  employ? " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  met  him  day  before  yesterday  as  1 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH    AND    READY.          179 

was  coming  home  from  the  post-office,  and  he  fol 
lowed  me  to  the  office.  He  showed  me  a  roll  of  bills, 
and  said  he  was  getting  a  hundred  dollars  a  month." 

"  Now  tell  me  what  you  did  when  you  discovered 
that  you  had  been  robbed." 

"  I  searched  about  for  Martin  with  a  policeman, 
but  couldn't  find  him  anywhere.  Then  I  thought  I 
had  better  come  right  back  to  the  office,  and  tell  you 
about  it.  I  hope  you  don't  think  I  was  very  much 
to  blame,  Mr.  Turner." 

"  Not  if  your  version  of  the  affair  is  correct,  as  I 
think  it  is.  I  don't  very  well  see  how  you  could  have 
foreseen  or  avoided  the  attack.  But  there  is  one 
thing  which  in  the  minds  of  some  might  operate  to 
your  prejudice." 

"  What  is  that,  sir?"  asked  Rufus,  anxiously. 

"  Your  relationship  to  the  thief." 

"  But  he  is  my  greatest  enemy." 

"  It  might  be  said  that  you  *rere  in  league  with 
him,  and  arranged  to  let  him  have  ihe  box  after  only 
making  a  show  of  resistance." 

"  I  hope  you  don't  think  that,  sir  ?  "  said  our  hero, 
anxiously. 


180  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  No,  I  do  not." 

"  Thank  you  for  saying  that,  sir.  Now,  may  I  asfc 
you  one  favor  ?  " 

"  Name  it." 

"  I  want  to  get  back  that  box.  Will  you  give  me 
a  week  to  do  it  in  ?  " 

"  What  is  your  plan?" 

"  I  would  like  to  take  a  week  out  of  the  office. 
During  that  time,  I  will  try  to  get  on  the  track  of 
Martin.  If  I  find  him,  I  will  do  my  best  to  get  back 
the  box." 

Mr.  Turner  deliberated  a  moment. 

"  It  may  involve  you  in  danger,"  he  said,  at  length. 

"  I  don't  care  for  the  danger,"  said  Rufus,  impetu 
ously.  "  I  know  that  I  am  partly  responsible  for  the 
loss  of  tjie  box,  and  I  want  to  recover  it.  Then  no 
one  can  blame  me,  or  pretend  that  I  had  anything  to 
do  with  stealing  it.  I  should  feel  a  great  deal  better 
if  3rou  would  let  me  try,  sir." 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  any  chance  of  your  tracing 
this  man,  Martin?  He  may  leave  the  city." 

"  I  don't  think  he  will,  sir." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  grant  your  request,  Rufus,"  said 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   RE  ADJ.          181 

the  banker,  after  a  pause.  "At  the  same  time,  1 
shall  wish  you  to  call  with  me  at  the  office  of  police, 
and  give  all  the  information  you  are  possessed  of, 
that  they  also  may  be  on  the  lookout  for  the  thief. 
We  had  best  go  at  once." 

Mr.  Turner  and  Rufus  at  once  repaired  to  the 
police  office,  and  lodged  such  information  as  they 
possessed  concerning  the  theft. 

"  What  were  the  contents  of  the  box  ?  "  inquired 
the  officer  to  whom  the  communication  was  made. 

"  Chiefly  railroad  and  bank  stocks." 

•'  Was  there  any  money?  " 

"  Four  hundred  dollars  only." 

"  Were  any  of  the  securities  negotiable?" 

"  There  were  two  government  bonds  of  five  hun 
dred  dollars  each.  They  were  registered,  however, 
in  the  name  of  the  owner,  James  Vanderpool,  one  of 
our  customers.  Indeed,  the  box  was  his,  and  was 
temporarily  in  our  care." 

"  Then  there  would  be  a  difficulty  about  disposing 
Of  the  bonds." 

"Yes." 

"  We  may  be  able  to  get  at  the  thief  through  them. 


182  RUFVS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

Very  probably  he  may  be  tempted  to  offer  them  for 
sale  at  some  broker's  office." 

"  It  is  quite  possible." 

"  We  will  do  our  best  to  ferret  out  the  thief.  The 
chances  are  good." 

"  The  thief  will  not  be  likely  to  profit  much  by  his 
theft,"  said  Mr.  Turner,  when  they  were  again  in  the 
street.  "  The  four  hundred  dollars,  to  be  sure,  he 
can  use  ;  but  the  railway  and  bank  stocks  will  be 
valueless  to  him,  and  the  bonds  may  bring  him  into 
trouble.  Still,  the  loss  of  the  securities  is  an  incon 
venience  ;  I  shall  be  glad  to  recover  them.  By  the 
way,  Mr.  Vanderpool  ought  at  once  to  be  apprised 
of  Ms  loss.  You  may  go  up  there  at  once.  Here  is 
his  address." 

Mr.  Turner  wrote  upon  a  card,  the  name 
JA.MES  VANDERPOOL, 

No.  —  West  Twenty- Seventh  Street, 

and  handed  it  to  Rufus. 

"  After  seeing  Mr.  Vanderpool,  you  will  come  to 
my  house  this  evening,  and  report  what  he  says. 
Assure  him  that  we  will  do  our  best  to  recover  the 
box.  I  shall  expect  you,  during  the  week  which  1 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND    READY.          183 

nllo\\  you,  to  report  yourself  daily  at  the  office,  to 
inform  me  of  any  clue  which  you  may  have  obtained." 

"  You  may  depend  upon  me,  sir,"  said  our  hero. 

Rufus  at  once  repaired  to  the  address  furnished 
him  by  Mr.  Turner. 

Another  difficult  and  disagreeable  task  lay  before 
him.  It  is  not  a  very  pleasant  commission  to  inform 
a  man  of  the  loss  of  property,  particularly  when,  as 
in  the  present  case,  the  informant  feels  that  the  fault 
of  the  loss  may  be  laid  to  his  charge.  Bat  Rufus 
accepted  the  situation  manfully,  feeling  that,  however 
disagreeable,  it  devolved  upon  him  justly. 

He  took  the  University  Place  cars,  and  got  out  at 
Twenty-Seventh  Street.  He  soon  found  Mr.  Vander- 
pool's  address,  and,  ringing  the  bell,  was  speedily 
admitted. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Vanderpool  is  at  home,"  said  the  ser 
vant.  "  Will  you  go  up  to  his  study? " 

Rufus  followed  the  servant  up  the  front  staircase, 
and  was  ushered  into  a  front  room  on  the  second 
floor.  There  was  a  library  table  in  the  centre  of  the 
apartment,  at  which  was  seated  a  gentleman  of  about 


184  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  ou, 

sixty,  with  iron-gray  hair,  and  features  that  boi  e  the 
marks  of  sickness  and  invalidism. 

Mr.  Vanderpool  had  inherited  a  large  estate, 
which,  by  careful  management,  had  increased  con 
siderably.  He  had  never  been  in  active  business, 
hut,  having  some  literary  and  scientific  tastes,  had 
been  content  to  live  on  his  income,  and  cultivate  the 
pursuits  to  which  he  was  most  inclined. 

"Mr.  Vanderpool?"  said  Rufus,  in  a  tone  of 
inquiry. 

"Yes,"  said  that  ,gentleman,  looking  over  his 
glasses,  "  that  is  my  name.  Do  you  want  to  speak 
"o  me?" 

"  I  come  from  Mr.  Turner,  the  banker,"  said 
Rufus. 

"  Ah,  yes ;  Mr.  Turner  is  my  man  of  business. 
Well,  what  message  do  you  bring  to  me  from  him?" 

"I  bring  bad  news,  Mr.  Vanderpool,"  said  our 
hero. 

"Eh,  what?"  ejaculated  Mr.  Vanderpool,  ner 
vously. 

"  A  tin  box  belonging  to  you  was  stolen  this  mom* 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          185 

"Bless  in}'  soul!  How  did  that  happen?"  ex 
claimed  the  rich  man,  in  dismay. 

Rufus  gave  the  account,  already  familiar  to  the 
reader,  of  the  attack  which  had  been  made  upon 
him., 

"Why,"  said  Mr.  Vanderpool,  "there  were  fifty 
thousand  dollars'  worth  of  property  in  that  box. 
That  would  be  a  heavy  loss." 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  losing  all  that,"  said 
Rufus.  "  The  money  I  suppose  will  be  lost,  and  per 
haps  the  government  bonds  may  be  disposed  of ;  but 
that  will  only  amount  to  about  fifteen  hundred  dol 
lars.  The  thief  can't  do  anything  with  the  stocka 
and  shares." 

"Are  you  sure  of  that?"  asked  Mr.  Vanderpool, 
relieved. 

"  Yes,  sir,  Mr.  Turner  told  me  so.  We  have  given 
information  to  the  police.  Mr.  Turner  has  given  me 
a  week  to  find  the  thief." 

"  You  are  only  a  boy,"  said  Mr.  Vanderpool,  curi 
ously.  "  Do  you  think  you  can  do  any  good?" 

"Yes,  sir;  I  think  so,"  said  Rufus,  modestly. 
"The  box  was  taken  from  me,  and  I  feel  bounl  to 


186  KUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OTJ, 

get  it  back  if  I  can.  If  I  don't  succeed,  the  certifi 
cates  of  stock  can  be  replaced/' 

"  Well,  well,  it  isn't  so  bad  as  it  might  be,"  said 
Mr.  Vanderpool.  "  But  are  you  not  afraid  of  hunt 
ing  up  the  thief?"  he  asked,  looking  at  Rufus, 
attentively. 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Rufus.  "  I'd  just  like  to  get  hold 
of  him,  that's  all." 

"You  would?  Well  now,  I  would  rather  be  ex 
cused.  I  don't  think  I  have  much  physical  courage. 
How  old  are  you?  " 

"  Sixteen." 

"  Well,  I  hope  you'll  succeed.  I  would  rather  not 
lose  fifteen  hundred  dollars  in  that  way,  though  it 
might  be  a  great  deal  worse." 

"  I  hope  you  don't  blame  me  very  much  for  having 
the  box  stolen  from  me." 

"  No,  no,  you  couldn't  help  it.  So  the  man 
knocked  you  down,  did  he?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  That  must  have  been  unpleasant.  Did  he  hurt 
you  much  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  just  at  first ;  but  I  don't  feel  it  now." 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND    READY.         187 

"  By  the  way,  my  young  friend,"  said  Mr.  Vander- 
pool,  reaching  forward  to  some  loose  sheets  of  manu 
script  upon  the  desk  before  him,  "  did  you  ever 
consider  the  question  whether  the  planets  were  in 
habited?" 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Rufus,  staring  a  little. 

"  I  have  given  considerable  time  to  the  considera 
tion  of  that  question,"  said  Mr.  Vanderpool.  "If 
you  have  time,  I  will  read  you  a  few  pages  from  a 
work  I  am  writing  on  the  subject." 

"  I  should  be  happy  to  hear  them,  sir,"  said  Rufus, 
mentally  deciding  that  Mr.  Vanderpool  was  rather  a 
curious  person. 

The  old  gentleman  cleared  his  throat,  and  read  a 
few  pages,  which  it  will  not  be  desirable  to  quote 
here.  Though  rather  fanciful,  they  were  not  wholly 
without  interest,  and  Rufus  listened  attentively, 
though  he  considered  it  a  little  singular  that  Mr. 
Vanderpool  should  have  selected  him  for  an  auditor. 
He  had  the  politeness  to  thank  the  old  gentleman  at 
the  close  of  the  reading. 

"I  am  glad  you  were  interested,"  said  Mr  Vap- 


188  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR* 

derpool,  gratified.     "  You  are  a  very  intelligent  boy 
I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  call  again." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  I  will  call  and  let  you  know 
what  progress  we  make  in  finding  the  tin  box." 

"  Oh,  yes.  I  had  forgotten  ;  I  have  no  doubt  you 
will  do  your  best.  When  you  call  again,  I  will  read 
you  a  few  more  extracts.  It  seems  to  me  a  very  im 
portant  and  interesting  subject." 

"  Thank  you,  sir  ;  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  call." 

"  He  don't  seem  to  think  much  of  his  loss,"  said 
our  hero,  considerably  relieved.  "I  was  afraid  he 
would  find  fault  with  me.  Now,  Mr.  Martin,  I  must 
do  my  best  to  find  you." 


THE  FORTHNES   OF   ROUGH  AND    READY.        189 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

DIVIDING   THE    SPOILS. 

MARTIN  did  not  fail  to  go  to  the  house  occupied 
by  his  employers,  in  the  evening.  He  was  anxious 
to  learn  the  amount  of  the  booty  which  he  had  taken. 
He  decided  that  it  must  be  ten  thousand  dollars  at 
least.  Half  of  this  would  be  five  thousand,  and  this, 
according  to  the  agreement  between  them,  was  to 
come  to  him.  It  was  quite  a  fortune,  and  the  thought 
of  it  dazzled  Martin's  imagination.  He  would  be 
able  to  retire  from  business,  and  resolved  to  do  so, 
for  he  did  not  like  the  risk  which  he  incurred  by 
following  his  present  employment. 

Martin  had  all  his  life  wished  to  live  like  a  gentle 
man, —  that  is,  to  live  comfortably  without  work  ;  and 
now  his  wish  seemed  likely  to  be  gratified.  In  the 
eyes  of  some,  five  thousand  dollars  would  seem  rather 
a  small  capital  to  warrant  such  a  life  ;  but  it  seemed 
a  great  deal  to  a  shiftless  character  like  him.  Be- 


190  RVFUS   AND    ROSE;    OR, 

sides,  the  box  might  contain  more  than  ten  thousand 
dollars,  and  in  that  case,  of  course,  his  own  share 
would  be  greater. 

So,  on  the  whole,  it  was  with  very  pleasant  antici 
pations  that  Martin  ascended  the  front  steps  of  the 
counterfeiter's  den,  and  rang  the  bell. 

Meanwhile  Smith  had  opened  the  box,  and  his 
disappointment  had  been  great  when  he  found  the 
nature  of  its  contents.  Actually  but  four  hundred 
dollars  were  immediately  available,  and,  as  the  banker 
no  doubt  had  recorded  the  number  of  the  government 
bonds,  there  would  be  risk  in  selling  them.  Besides, 
even  if  sold,  they  would  produce,  at  the  market  price, 
barely  eleven  hundred  dollars.  As  to  the  bank  and 
railway  shares,  they  could  not  be  negotiated,  and  no 
doubt  duplicates  would  be  applied  for.  So,  after  all, 
the  harvest  was  likely  to  prove  small,  especially  as 
Smith  had  passed  his  word  to  divide  with  Martin. 

After  a  while  it  occurred  to  him  that,  as  Martin  did 
not  know  the  contents  of  the  box,  he  could  easily  be 
deceived  into  supposing  them  less  than  they  were. 
He  must  tell  a  falsehood ;  but  then  Smith's  conscience 


THE    FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH  AND   READY.          191 

was  tough,  and  he  had  told  a  great  many  in  the 
course  of  his  life. 

When  Martin  was  ushered  into  the  room,  he  found 
his  confederate  looking  rather  sober. 

"  Have  you  opened  the  box  ? "  inquired  Martin, 
eagerly. 

"Yes,"  said  Smith,  rather  contemptuously.  "A 
great  haul  you  made,  I  must  say." 

"Wasn't  there  anything  in  it?"  asked  Martin,  in 
dismay. 

"  Yes,  there  were  plenty  of  bank  and  railroad 
shares." 

"Can't  we  sell  them?"  queried  Martin,  whose 
knowledge  of  business  was  limited. 

"  You  must  be  a  fool !  We  can't  sell  them  without 
the  owner's  indorsement.  Perhaps  you'll  call  and 
ask  him  for  it." 

"Can't  we  do  anything  with  them,  then?"  asked 
Martin,  anxiously. 

"  Nothing  a,t  all." 

"  Wasn't  there  nothing  else  in  the  box  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there  was  a  government  bond  for  fiv« 
hundred  dollars." 


192  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

Smith  concluded  to  mention  only  one. 

"  That's  something." 

"  Yes,  it's  something.  You  can  sell  it  after  a  while, 
and  bring  me  half  the  money." 

"  Will  there  be  any  danger  in  selling  it?  " 

"  None  to  speak  of,"  said  Smith,  who  was  afraid 
Martin  might  dec  line  selling  it,  unless  he  gave  this 
assurance. 

"Wasn't  there  any  money?"  asked  Martin,  dis 
appointed. 

"Yes,  there  was  a  trifle,  —  a  hundred  dollars," 
answered  his  unscrupulous  confederate,  who  was 
certainly  cheating  Martin  in  the  most  barefaced 
manner. 

"  Half  of  that  belongs  to  me,"  said  Martin. 

"Of  course  it  does.  Do  you  think  I  wouldn't 
treat  you  fair  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  his  dupe.  "  I  know,  Mr.  Smith,  you're 
a  man  of  honor." 

"  Of  course  I  am.  I'd  like  to  see  anybody  say  I 
wasn't.  I've  left  everything  in  the  box  just  as  it  was, 
so  you  might  see  it  was  all  right." 

V 

He  went  to  the  cupboard,  and,  unlocking  it,  pro- 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.         193 

luced  the  box,  of  which  he  lifted  the  lid.  The  cer 
tificates  of  stock  were  at  the  botton ,.  Above  them, 
folded  up,  was  the  five-twenty  U.  S.  bond  for  five 
hundred  dollars,  and  upon  it  a  small  roll  of  green 
backs. 

"  You  see  it's  just  as  I  say,  Martin,"  said  Smith, 
with  an  air  of  frankness.  "  There's  the  shares  that 
we  can't  do  anything  with,  here's  the  bond,  and  there's 
the  money.  Just  take  and  count  it,  I  may  have  been 
mistaken  in  the  amount." 

Martin  counted  the  roll  of  bills,  and  made  out  just 
one  hundred  dollars.  Of  course  he  could  not  be 
expected  to  know  that  there  had  been  three  hundred 
more,  which,  together  with  the  other  bond,  were  care 
fully  concealed  in  his  confederate's  breast-pocket. 

"  Yes,  it's  just  a  hundred  dollars,"  he  said,  after 
finishing  the  count. 

"  Well,  take  fifty  of  them,  and  put  in  your  pocket." 

Martin  did  so. 

"  It  aint  what  I  expected,"  he  said,  rather  ruefully. 
"  If  I'd  knowed  there  was  so  little  in  the  box,  I 
wouldn't  have  taken  it." 

"  Well,  it's  better  than  nothing,"  said  Smith,  who 
13 


RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  GJJ, 

could  afford  10  be  philosophical,  having  appropriated 
to  himself  seven-eighths  of  the  money,  and  three- 
fourths  of  the  bonds.  "  There's  the  bond,  you 
know." 

"  Let  me  see  it." 

Smith  extended  it  to  Martin. 

"When  shall  I  sell  it?"  asked  he. 

"  Not  just  yet.  Wait  till  the  affair  blows  over  a 
little." 

"  Do  you  think  there's  any  danger,  then  ?  "  queried 
Martin,  anxiously. 

"  Not  much.     Still  it's  best  to  be  prudent." 

"  Hadn't  you  better  sell  it  yourself?  " 

"  Suppose  I  did,"  said  Smith.  "  I  might  take  the 
notion  to  walk  off  with  all  the  money." 

"  I  don't  think  you  would,"  said  Martin,  surveying 
his  confederate  doubtfully,  nevertheless. 

"No,  I  don't  think  I  would;  but  if  you  sell  it 
yourself,  you'll  have  the  affair  in  your  own  hands." 

"  But  I  might  walk  off  with  all  the  money,  too," 
said  Martin,  who  thought  it  a  poor  rule  that  didn't 
work  both  ways. 

"  T  don't  think  you  would,"  said  Smith,  "  and  I'D 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          195 

tell  you  why.  "We  belong  to  a  large  band,  that  are 
bound  together  by  a  terrible  oath  to  punish  any  one 
guilty  of  treachery.  Suppose  you  played  me  false, 
and  did  as  you  say,  —  though  of  course  I  know  you 
don't  mean  it,  —  I  wouldn't  give  that  for  your  life  ;  " 
and  he  snapped  his  fingers. 

"  Don't ! "  said  Martin,  with  a  shudder.  "  You 
make  me  shiver.  Of  course  I  didn't  mean  anything. 
I'm  on  the  square." 

"  Certainly,  I  only  told  you  what  would  happen  to 
you  or  me,  or  any  one  that  was  false  to  the  others." 

"  I  think  I'd  rather  have  you  sell  the  bond,"  said 
Martin,  nervously. 

"  If  I  were  in  your  case,  I'd  be  perfectly  willing ; 
but  the  fact  is,  the  brokers  know  me  too  well.  They 
suspect  me,  and  they  won't  suspect  yon." 

"  I  thi*jk  I've  had  my  share  of  the  risk,"  grumbled 
Martin.  "  I  don't  see  but  I  do  the  work,  and  you 
share  the  profits." 

"Wasn't  it  I  that  put  you  up  to  it?"  demanded 
Smith.  "  Would  you  ever  have  thought  of  it  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  me?" 

u  Maybe  I  wouldn't.     I  wish  I  hadn't." 


196  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/z, 

"  You're  a  fool,  then !  Don't  you  see  it's  turned 
out  all  right  ?  Haven't  you  got  fifty  dollars  in  your 
pocket,  and  won't  you  have  two  hundred  and  fifty 
more  when  the  bond  is  sold  ?  " 

"I  thought  T\\  get  five  thousand,"  said  Martin, 
dissatisfied. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  three  hundred  dollars  is 
pretty  good  pay  for  oue  morning's  work ;  but  then 
there  are  some  people  that  are  never  satisfied." 

"  It  wasn't  the  work,  it  was  the  danger.  I  aint  at 
all  sure  but  the  boy  saw  me,  and  knew  who  I  was. 
If  he  did,  I've  got  to  keep  out  of  the  way." 

"Do  you  think  he  did  recognize  you?"  asked 
Smith,  thoughtfully. 

"  I'm  not  sure.     I'm  afraid  he  did." 

"  I  wish  we'd  got  him  in  our  clutches.  But  I  dare 
say  he  was  too  frightened  to  tell  who  it  was." 

"  He  aint  easy  frightened,"  said  Martin,  shaking 
his  head.  He  understood  our  hero  better  than  hia 
confederate. 

"  Well,  all  is,  you  must  be  more  careful  for  a  few 
days.  Instead  of  staying  in  the  city,  I'll  send  you 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         19? 

to  Jersey  City,  Newark,  and  other  places  where  you 
won't  be  likely  to  meet  him." 

"  That  might  do,"  said  Martin ;  "  he's  a  smart  boy, 
^Lrjgh  he's  an  undootiful  son.  He  don't  care  no 
more  for  me  than  if  I  was  no  kith  nor  kin  to  him, 
arid  he  just  as  lieves  see  me  sent  to  prison  as  not." 

"  There's  one  thing  you  haven't  thought  of,"  said 
Smith. 

"What's  that?" 

"  His  employer  will  most  likely  think  that  the  boy 
has  stolen  the  box,  or  had  something  to  do  with  its 
being  carried  off.  As  he  took  him  out  of  the  street, 
he  won't  have  much  confidence  in  his  honesty.  I 
shouldn't  be  at  all  surprised  if  this  undootiful  boy  of 
yours,  as  you  call  him,  found  himself  locked  up  in  the 
Tombs,  on  account  of  this  little  affair." 

"  Do  you  think  so? "  said  Martin,  brightening  up 
at  the  suggestion. 

"  I  think  it  more  likely  than  not.  If  that  is  the 
case,  of  course  you  won't  be  in  any  danger  from 
him." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Martin,  cheerfully.  "  I  hope 
you're  right.  It  would  be  worth  something  to  hav« 


198  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

that  young  imp  locked  up.  He  wouldn't  put  on  so 
many  airs  after  that." 

"  Well,  it's  very  likely  to  happen." 

The  contemplation  of  this  possibility  so  raised 
Martin's  spirits,  that,  in  spite  of  the  disappointment 
he  had  experienced  in  finding  the  booty  so  far  below 
what  he  had  anticipated,  he  became  quite  cheerful, 
especially  after  Smith  produced  a  bottle  of  whiskey, 
and  asked  him  to  help  himself,  —  an  invitation  whicl 
he  did  not  have  occasion  to  repeat. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         199 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

RUFUS   ENTRAPPED. 

"  Now,"  said  Rufus  to  himself  on  the  morning  sucv 
ceeding  the  robbery,  "  I've  got  a  week  to  recover  that 
box.  How  shall  I  go  about  it  ?  " 

This  was  a  question  easier  asked  than  answered. 
Martin  being  the  thief,  the  first  thing,  of  course,  was 
to  find  him ;  and  Rufus  had  considerable  hopes  of  en 
countering  him  in  the  street  some  day.  Should  this 
be  the  case,  he  might  point  him  out  to  a  policeman, 
and  have  him  arrested  at  once ;  but  this  would  not 
recover  the  box.  Probably  it  was  concealed  at  Mar 
tin's  boarding-house,  and  this  it  was  that  Rufus  was 
anxious  to  find.  He  decided,  therefore,  whenever  he 

got  on  the  track  of  his  step-father,  to   follow  him 

t 
cautiously  until  he  ascertained  where  he  lodged. 

He  walked  the  street  with  his  eyes  about  him  all 
day,  but  did  not  catch  a  glimpse  of  Martin.  The 
fact  was.  the  latter  was  at  Newark,  having  been  sent 


200  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

there  by  his  employers  with  a  supply  of  counterfeit 
money  to  dispose  of,  so  that  our  hero's  search  was  of 
course  fruitless,  and  so  he  was  obliged  to  report  to 
Mr.  Turner  the  next  morning. 

"Probably  he  is  in,  hiding,"  said  his  employer. 
"  I  don't  think  you  haAre  much  chance  of  meeting  him 
for  a  few  days  to  come." 

>;  I  should  like  to  try,"  said  Rums.  "  He  won't  be 
content  to  hide  long." 

"  I  have  notified  the  banks  and  railroad  companies 
of  the  robbery,"  said  Mr.  Turner  ;  "  so  that  it  will  be 
impossible  to  sell  the  shares.  After  a  while,  should 
we  fail  to  recover  them,  they  will  grant  us  duplicate 
certificates.  I  have  advertised,  also,  the  numbers  of 
the  bonds  ;  and,  if  an  attempt  is  made  to  dispose  of 
them,  the  thief  will  find  himself  in  trouble.  So  the 
loss  is  reduced  to  four  hundred  dollars." 

"  That  is  too  much  to  lose,"  said  Rums. 

"  That  is  true ;  but  we  are  lucky  to  get  off  so 
cheap." 

"  I  hope  to  get  back  some  of  that,"  said  our  hero, 
stoutly. 

' '  Did  it  ever  strike  you  that  there  might  be  some 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         201 

risk  encountering  this  man?  If  he  is  driven  to  bay 
be  may  become  dangerous." 

u  I  don't  think  of  the  danger,  Mr.  Turner,"  said 
Rufus.  "  I  lost  that  box,  and  it  is  my  duty  to 
recover  it  if  I  can,  danger  or  no  danger." 

Mr.  Turner  secretly  a*dmired  the  pluck  of  Rufus ; 
but  he  was  not  a  man  given  to  compliments,  so  he 
only  said,  quietly,  "  Well,  Rufus,  you  shall  have  the 
week  I  promised  you.  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  do 
your  best.  I  shall  not  be  surprised,  however,  if  you 
fail." 

So  Rufus  entered  upon  his  second  day's  search. 

He  went  up  Chatham  Street,  and  explored  most  of 
the  streets  intersecting  it,  visiting  many  places  which 
he  remembered  as  former  haunts  of  his  step-father. 
But  he  was  quite  off  the  track  here.  Martin's  em 
ployment  now  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  city,  near 
the  North  River,  and  he  had  no  longer  occasion  to  visit 
his  old  haunts.  Besides,  he  had  again  been  sent  over 
to  New  Jersey,  and  did  not  get  back  to  the  city  at 
all  till  late  in  the  afternoon. 

The  next  day  Martin  complained  of  headache,  and 
was  permitted  to  remain  at  home.  He  did  noi>  think 


202  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

it  prudent  to  be  out  during  the  day ;  but  easily 
solaced  himself  in  his  confinement  with  whiskey  and 
Mgars,  of  which  he  had  laid  in  a  good  supply.  He 
was  sitting  in  his  shirt-sleeves  at  the  front  window, 
looking  through  the  blinds,  which  were  always  closed, 
when  his  eyes  lighted  on  Rufus  passing  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  street. 

"  He's  looking  for  me,"  exclaimed  Martin  to  him 
self,  observing  that  Rufus  was  looking  about  him  as 
he  walked. 

"  Who's  looking  for  you?"  asked  his  confederate, 
Smith,  who  happened  just  then  to  enter  the  room. 

"My  undootiful  son.  Look,  there  he  is,"  said 
Martin,  nervously.  "  T  wonder  if  he  has  heard  about 
my  living  here." 

Smith  went  to  the  window,  and  looked  out. 

"  He  looks  resolute  and  determined,"  said  Smith. 
"  We  must  pull  his  teeth." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  mean  we  must  put  it  out  of  his  power  to  do 
you  harm." 

"  How  are  we  going  to  do  that  ?  " 

"  Wait  a  minute  and  I'll  tell  you.'' 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         203 

Smith  left  the  room  hastily,  and  after  a  brief  inter 
val  returned. 

"  I  think  I'll  fetch  it,"  he  said. 

"  What  have  you  done?"  asked  Martin. 

"I've  sent  Humpy  to  follow  your  son.  He's  to 
carry  him  a  message  from  you." 

"  What  do  you- mean?"  asked  Martin,  alarmed. 

"  Don't  be  afraid.     It's  all  right." 

u  But  I  don't  understand  it.  I  didn't  send  any  mes 
sage.  What  was  it  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you.  If  I'm  not  mistaken  Humpy  will 
bring  your  son  back  with  him,  so  that  I  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  reuniting  parent  and  child." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  are  going  to  bring 
Rufus  here?"  said  Martin,  his  lower  jaw  falling. 
"  You  aint  going  to  betray  me,  are  you  ?  " 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense  !  What  are  you  thinking  of? 
All  you  need  understand  is,  that  the  boy  is  getting 
dangerous.  He  is  following  you  round  as  if  he 
meant  something,  and  that  must  be  stopped.  I  mean 
to  get  him  into  the  house,  but  I  don't  mean  to  part 
company  with  him  very  soon." 

Smith  here  briefly  detailed  the  instructions  which 


204  RUFUS  AND  ROSK;  OR, 

he  had  given  to  his  errand-boy.  Martin  listened  with 
much  satisfaction. 

"  What  a  head  you've  got !  "  he  said  admiringly. 

"I'm  generally  ready  for  an  emergency,"  re 
marked  Smith,  complacently.  "  You've  got  to  get  up 
early  in  the  morning  to  get  ahead  of  me." 

We  must  now  follow  Smith's  messenger,  and  we 
shall  ascertain  that  gentleman's  plan. 

Humpy  was  a  boy  of  sixteen,  very  short,  in  fact  al 
most  a  dwarf,  and,  as  his  name  implies,  disfigured  by 
a  hump.  He  was  sharp,  however,  and  secretive,  and, 
though  he  could  not  help  understanding  the  charaotei 
of  the  men  who  employed  him,  was  not  likely  to  be 
tray  them.  He  had  a  pride  in  deserving  the  confi 
dence  which  he  saw  was  reposed  in  him. 

After  receiving  the  instructions  of  his  principal,  he 
crossed  the  street,  and  followed  Rufus  at  a  little  dis 
tance,  being  particular  to  keep  him  in  sight.  GUI' 
hero  turned  a  corner,  and  so  did  he.  He  then  quick 
ened  his  pace  and  came  up  with  him. 

"  Was  you  a-lookin'  for  anybody  in  particular?"  \» 
said. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         205 

u  What  makes  you  ask?"  said  Rufus,  facing  round 
upon  him. 

"  Maybe  I  could  help  you." 

4<  Perhaps  you  know  who  I  am  after,"  said  Rufus, 
looking  at  him  steadily. 

"  You're  looking  for  a  man  named  Martin,  aini 
you?" 

"Do  you  know  where  I  can  find  him?"  asked 
Rufus,  eagerly. 

"  Yes,  I  do.     He  sent  me  after  you." 

"  He  sent  you  !  "  repeated  our  hero,  hardly  believ- 
jQg  his  ears. 

"  Yes  ;  he  wants  to  see  you." 

"  What  does  he  want  to  see  me  for?  "  asked  Rufus, 
inclined  to  be  suspicious. 

"  There's  something  he's  got  of  yours  that  he  wants 
to  return,"  said  Humpy,  in  alow  voice,  looking  around 
cautiously. 

Rufus  was  more  and  more  astonished.  Was  it  pos 
sible  that  Martin's  conscience  troubled  him,  and  that 
he  wanted  to  make  restitution?  He  could  hardly 
believe  this,  knowing  what  he  did  of  his  step-father. 


206  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/?, 

Martin  was  about  the  last  man  he  would  have  sus 
pected  of  being  troubled  in  any  such  way. 

"  Yes,  he  has  got  something  of  mine,"  he  said 
aloud.  "  Does  he  want  to  return  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he's  sorry  he  took  it.  He's  afraid  you'll  set 
the  copps  on  him." 

"  So  he's  frightened,"  thought  Rufus.  This  seemed 
to  throw  light  on  the  new  phase  of  affairs.  He  had 
never  regarded  his  step-father  as  very  brave,  and  now 
concluded  that  he  was  alarmed  about  the  conse 
quences  of  the  theft. 

"  If  he'll  return  what  he  took,  all  right,"  said  Ru 
fus,  venturing  to  make  this  promise  on  his  own  re 
sponsibility  ;  "  he  shan't  be  touched.  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  Not  far  off,"  said  Humpy. 

"  Tell  him  to  bring  it  to  me,  and  I'll  give  my  word 
not  to  have  him  arrested." 

"  He  can't  come." 

"Why  can't  he?" 

"  He's  sick." 

"Where?" 

"  In  a  house  near  by.  He  wants  you  to  come  and 
see  him." 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.         20 

Rufus  hesitated. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  him  ?  "  he  asked. 

"He  caught  a  cold,  and  is  threatened  with  a 
fever,"  said  the  boy,  glibly.  "  If  you  want  to  see 
him,  I'll  lead  you  where  he  is." 

44  All  right !  Go  ahead  ! "  said  Rufus,  thoroughly 
deceived  by  the  boy's  plausible  story. 

"  You'll  promise  not  to  sot  the  copps  on  him,  after 
you've  got  the  box?  "  said  Humpy. 

"  Yes,  I  promise." 

"  Then  follow  me." 

Rufus  followed,  congratulating  himself  that  things 
were  coming  out  satisfactorily.  He  had  no  hesitation 
hi  making  the  promise  he  did,  for  he  felt  sure  that 
he  would  be  sustained  by  his  employer.  At  any  rate, 
he  determined  that,  having  pledged  his  word  to  Mar 
tin,  nothing  should  make  him  break  it. 

Humpy  stumped  along,  followed  by  Rufus.  They 
turned  the  corner  again,  and  the  boy  guided  him  at 
once  to  the  counterfeiter's  den. 

"  Pie's  in  there,"  said  Humpy,  with  a  jerk  of  his 
forefinger.  "  Come  along !  " 


208  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OTJ, 

He  mounted  the  steps,  and  opened  the  door,  which 
had  been  left  unlocked. 

"  He's  upstairs,"  said  Humpy.     "  Come  up." 

Rufus,  without  suspicion,  followed  his  humpbacked 
guide  up  the  narrow  staircase.  They  had  scarcely 
reached  the  top,  when  Smith,  coming  out  of  a  room  on 
the  floor  below,  locked  the  outer  door,  and  put  the  key 
in  his  pocket.  This  Rafus  did  not  see,  or  it  would 
have  aroused  his  suspicion.  The  boy  opened  the  door 
of  a  chamber  at  the  head  of  the  staircase.  "  Go  in 
there,"  he  said. 

Rufus  entered,  and  looked  around  him,  but  saw  no 
one.  He  did  not  have  to  wait  long.  A  step  was 
heard  at  the  door,  and  James  Martin  entered  the 
room,  apparently  in  perfect  health. 

"  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  Rufus,"  he  said  with  a  trium 
phant  grin.  "You've  been  such  an  undootiful  son 
that  I  didn't  much  expect  you'd  come  to  see  your  sick 
father." 

Rufus  sprang  to  his  feet  in  dismay.  The  whole  plot 
flashed  upon  him  at 'once,  and  he  realized  that  he  had 
valked  into  a  trap  with  his  eyes  wide  open. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  KEADY.         209 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

IN   A   TRAP. 

OUR  hero's  first  impulse,  on  finding  himself  en 
trapped,  was  to  escape.  He  sprang  towards  the 
door,  but  Martin  quickly  grasped  him  by  the  arm, 
and  forced  him  back. 

"  No  you  don't ! "  he  said,  with  emphasis.  "  I 
want  you  to  stay  with  me." 

"  Let  me  go !  "  exclaimed  Rufus,  struggling  to 
escape. 

"  Sorry  I  couldn't  oblige  you,"  said  Martin,  with  a 
grin.  "Can't  you  stay  with  your  sick  father  a 
few  days  ?  " 

"You've  played  me  a  mean  trick,"  said  Rufus, 
indignantly. 

4 '  What  was  you  walkin'  through  this  street  for?" 
asked  Martin.  "Wasn't  it  because  you  wanted  to 
Bee  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  our  hero. 
14 


210  RUFUS   AND   ROSE}    OJKj 

"  Well,  you've  got  what  you  wanted,"  said  Martin, 
«miiing  maliciously.  "  I  know'd  you'd  never  find  me 
if  I  didn't  send  out  for  you.  Was  there  anything 
particular  you  wish  to  say  to  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Rufus,  bluntly.  "  I  want  you  to  give 
me  back  that  tin  box  you  stole  from  me  the  other 
day." 

"What  do  I  know  about  any  tin  box?"  asked 
Martin,  not  knowing  that  it  had  been  spoken  of  by 
Humpy  in  the  street. 

"  You  needn't  deny  it,  Mr.  Martin.  The  boy  you 
sent  after  me  told  me  you  took  it." 

"He  did,  did  he?"  said  Martin,  seeing  that  he 
inust  try  another  tack.  "  Well,  s'posin*  I  did,  what 
then?" 

u  The  law  may  have  something  to  say.  You'll 
a  chance  of  going  to  Sing  Sing  for  a  few 


years." 

"You'd  have  to  prove  I  took  it,"  said  Martin, 
aneasily.  "  I  only  told  the  boy  to  say  so,  so's  to  get 
fou  in  here.  I  read  about  the  robbery  in  the 
papers." 


TffE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.         211 

"  I  recognized  you  at  the  time,  and  am  ready  to 
swear  to  you,"  said  Rufus,  firmly. 

This  was  rather  imprudent,  for  it  made  Martin 
even  more  determined  to  prevent  our  hero's  escape. 

"  If  that's  your  game,"  he  said,  -I'll  see  you  don't 
get  a  chance  to  swear  to  any  lies." 

"What  do  you  mean  to  do  with  me?"  demanded 
Rufus. 

"I  aint  decided  yet,"  said  Martin.  "Your 
health's  so  delicate  that  I  don't  think  it'll  agree  with 
you  to  go  out  in  the  street." 

"  Are  you  going  to  confine  me  here?  " 

"  Maybe,"  said  his  step-father.  "  I  shan't  charge 
you  nothing  for  board.  Your  cheerful  company'll 
pay  me  for  that." 

"  Mr.  Martin,"  said  Rufus,  "  I've  got  a  proposition 
to  make  to  you." 

"  Go  ahead  and  make  it  then." 

"  You've  got  yourself  into  a  scrape  about  that  tin 
box." 

"  I  thought  you  fras  the  one  that  had  got  into  a 
scrape,"  said  Martin,  jocularly. 


212  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

•'  So  I  have ;  but  mine  is  of  a  different  kind  from 
yours.  You  run  the  risk  of  going  to  prison." 

"  And  you're  in  prison  already,"  said  Martin,  with 
a  grin.  "  Seems  to  me  I've  got  the  best  of  it  so 
far." 

"  Perhaps  you  have  ;  but  I  wouldn't  exchange  with 
you  for  all  that.  Now  I've  got  a  proposition  to 
make." 

"  That's  what  you  said  befor." 

"  If  you  will  restore  the  tin  box,  and  let  me  go 
free,  I'll  see  that  you  are  not  arrested  for  what 
you've  done." 

"  You're  very  kind,"  said  Martin  ;  "  but  that  won't 
pay  me  for  my  trouble." 

"  If  I'll  get  you  out  of  your  present  danger?" 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  S'posin'  I  was  to  do  as 
you  say,  the  first  thing  you'd  do  after  you  got  out 
would  be  to  set  the  copps  on  me." 

"  No,  I  wouldn't.     I'd  go  to  prison  first  myself." 

This  proposition  had  some  effect  upon  Martin.  He 
realized  that  he  was -in  danger,  and  felt  that  he  had 
l>een  very  poorly  paid  for  his  risk  and  trouble.  He 
was  inclined  to  believe  Rufus  would  keep  his  word. 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         213 

but  he  knew  also  that  matters  had  gone  too  far. 
Smith,  he  was  sure,  would  not  consent  to  any  such 
ai  rangement,  and  without  him  he  could  do  nothing. 
Besides,  it  was  a  satisfaction  to  him  to  feel  that  he 
had  Rufus  in  his  power,  and  he  had  no  desire  to  lose 
that  advantage  by  setting  him  free.  Tyrant  and 
bully  as  he  was  by  nature,  he  meant  to  gratify  his 
malice  at  our  hero's  expense. 

"  I  couldn't  do  it,  Rufus,"  he  said.  "  There's 
another  man  in  it,  and  he's  got  the  box." 

Rufus  looked  sharply  at  Martin  to  ascertain 
if  he  was  speaking  the  truth.  He  decided  that  it 
was  as  his  step-father  stated,  and,  if  this  was  the 
case,  he  would  have  more  than  one  enemy  to  deal 
with. 

"  Does  the  other  man  live  here  ?  "  he  asked. 

44  Maybe  he  does,  and  maybe  he  doesn't." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  Maybe  it's  the  Emperor  of  Chiny,  and  maybe  it 
isn't.  What  would  you  give  to  know  ?  " 

44  Not  much,"  said  Rufus,  assuming  an  indifferent 
tone.  '4  You're  the  man  that  took  the  box,  —  that's 
enough  for  me." 


214  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OTJ, 

"  He  put  me  up  to  it,"  said  Martin,  unguardedly. 

"  I  thought  Martin  wasn't  smart  enough  to  plan 
the  robbery  himself,"  said  Rufus  to  himself.  He  re- 
Bolved  to  appear  indifferent  to  this  information,  in 
the  hope  of  learning  more. 

"  You  can  settle  that  among  yourselves,"  he  said, 
quietly.  "  If  you  consented  to  do  it,  you're  as  much 
to  blame  as  he." 

At  this  moment  Smith,  influenced  by  curiosity, 
opened  the  door  and  entered. 

"  This  is  my  undootiful  son,  Mr.  Smith,"  said 
Martin. 

"  So  his  name's  Smith,"  thought  Rufus.  "  I  won- 
d3r  whether  it's  his  real  name,  or  a  false  one." 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you,  young  man,"  said  Smith. 
"  So  you've  called  to  see  your  father  ?  " 

"  He  isn't  my  father." 

"  You  see  how  undootiful  he  is,"  said  Martin 
"He  won't  own  me." 

"  We'll  teach  him  to  be  more  dutiful  before  we  get 
through  with  him,"  said  Smith. 

" Mr.  Smith,"  said  Rufus,  "I'm  not  here  of  my 
own  accord.  I  dare  say  you  know  that.  But  -as 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.    215 

long  as  I  am  here,  I'd  like  to  ask  you  if  you  know 
anything  about  a  tin  box  that  was  taken  from  me  the 
other  day  by  Mr.  Martin." 

"By  your  father?" 

"  By  Mr.  Martin,"  said  Rufus,  determined  not  to 
admit  the  relationship. 

"  What  should  I  know  about  it?  " 

"Mr.  Martin  tells  me  that,  though  he  took  it, 
somebody  else  set  him  to  do  it.  I  thought  you 
might  be  the  one." 

"Did  you  say  that?"  demanded  Smith,  looking 
angrily  at  Martin. 

"  I  was  only  foolin',"  returned  Martin,  who  began 
to  think  he  had  made  a  blunder. 

"  It's  my  belief  that  you're  a  fool,"  retorted  Smith. 
"  You'd  better  be  careful  what  you  tell  your  son. 
Young  man,"  turning  to  Rufus,  "  as  to  the  tin  box 
you  speak  of,  I  can  tell  you  nothing.  Your  father 
says  that  he  has  recovered  some  property  which  you 
stole  from  him  a  while  since,  and  I  suppose  that  may 
be  the  tin  box  you  refer  to." 

"  That  isn't  true.  It  belonged  to  Mr.  Turner,  my 
employer,  or  rather  to  a  customer  of  his." 


216  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR^ 

"  That's  nothing  to  me.  Mr.  Martiii  boards  with 
me,  and  as  long  as  he  pays  for  his  board  I  don't 
want  to  pry  into  his  affairs.  If  he  has  taken  a  tin 
box  from  you,  I  presume  he  had  a  better  right  to  it 
than  you  had.  Are  you  going  to  bring  your  son 
down  to  dinner,  Mr.  Martin  ?  " 

"  I  guess  he'd  better  eat  his  victuals  up  here,"  said 
Martin. 

u  Just  as  you  say.  I  can  send  Humpy  /,1th.  them. 
We  shall  have  dinner  in  about  an  hour." 

"  All  right ;  I'll  go  down  now  if  my  uootifu1  son 
can  spare  me." 

As  Rufus  did  not  urge  him  to  stay,  Martin  left  the 
room  with  Smith,  taking  care  to  lock  the  door  after 
him. 

"What's  the  boy's  name?"  asked  Smith,  abruptly. 

"  Rufus." 

"  He's  smart.     I  can  tell  that  by  his  looks." 

"  Ye-es,  he's  smart  enough,"  said  Martin,  hesi 
tatingly  ;  "  but  he's  as  obstinate  as  a  pig." 

"  Likes  to  have  his  own  way,  eh? " 

"  That's  what  he  does." 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.         217 

"  He'd  make  a  good  boy  for  our  business,"  said 
Smith,  musingly. 

Martin  shook  his  head. 

"  It  wouldn't  do,"  he  said. 

"  Why  not?" 

"  He  wants  to  be  honest,"  said  Martin,  contemptu 
ously.  "  We  couldn't  trust  him." 

"  Then  there's  only  one  thing  to  do." 

"What's  that?" 

"  We  must  keep  him  close.  We  mustn't  on  any 
account  allow  him  to  escape." 

"  I'll  look  after  that,"  said  Martin,  nodding.  "  I've 
had  hard  work  enough  to  get  hold  of  him.  He  won't 
get  away  in  a  hurry." 

"  If  he  does,  you'll  be  arrested." 

"  And  you  too,"  suggested  Martin. 

"Why  should  I?" 

"  Didn't  you  put  me  up  to  taking  the  box,  and 
haven't  you  taken  half  what  was  in  it  ?  " 

"  Look  here,"  said  Smith,  menacingly,  "  you'd 
better  stop  that.  You've  already  told  the  boy  more 
than  you  ought.  If  you  are  taken  through  your  own 
carelessness,  mind  what  you  are  about,  and  don't  split 


RUFUS   AND   ROSE;    OK, 

on  me.     If  you  do,  it'll  be  the  worse  day's  work 
ever  did.     Imprisonment  isn't  the  worse  thing  that 
can  happen  to  a  man." 

Martin  understood  what  his  confederate  meant, 
and  the  intended  effect  was  produced.  He  began  to 
think  that  Smith  was  a  desperate  man,  and  capable 
of  murdering  him,  or  instigating  his  murder,  in  case 
of  treachery.  This  made  him  feel  rather  uneasy,  in 
spite  of  his  capture  of  Rufus. 

Meanwhile,  our  hero,  left  to  himself,  began  to 
examine  the  apartment  in  which  he  was  confined. 
The  door  had  been  locked  by  Martin,  as  we  have 
already  said.  This  was  the  only  mode  of  exit  from 
the  apartment,  except  what  was  afforded  by  two  win 
dows.  Rufus  walked  to  them,  and  looked  out.  The 
room  was  in  the  back  part  of  the  house,  and  these 
windows  looked  out  into  a  back  yard.  He  could  see 
the  rear  portions  of  the  houses  on  a  parallel  street, 
and  speculated  as  to  the  chances  of  escape  this  way 
As  the  room  was  only  on  the  second  floor,  the  dis 
tance  to  the  ground  was  not  great.  He  could  easily 
swing  off  the  window-sill  without  injury.  Though  he 
knew  it  would  not  be  well  to  attempt  escape  now 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.    219 

when  Martin  and  Smith  were  doubtless  on  the  look 
out,  he  thought  he  would  open  the  window  softly  and 
take  a  survey.  He  tried  one  window,  but  could  not 
raise  it.  He  tried  the  other,  with  like  want  of  suc 
cess.  He  thought  at  first  that  the  difficulty  lay  in 
their  sticking,  but,  on  closer  examination,  he  ascer 
tained  that  both  were  firmly  fastened  by  nails,  which 
accounted  for  their  being  immovable. 


220  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OB, 


CHAPTER    XX. 

HUMPY. 

"  I  MIGHT  break  the  window,"  thought  Rufus  ;  but  it 
occurred  to  him  at  once  that  the  noise  would  probably 
be  heard.  Besides,  if  there  was  any  one  in  the  room 
below,  he  would  very  likely  be  seen  descending  from 
the  window.  If  this  plan  were  adopted  at  all,  he 
must  wait  till  evening.  Meanwhile  some  other  way 
of  escape  might  suggest  itself. 

The  room  was  of  moderate  size, —  about  fifteen  feet 
square.  A  cheap  carpet  covered  the  floor.  A  pine 
bedstead  occupied  one  corner.  There  were  three  or 
four  chairs,  a  bureau,  and  a  bedstead. 

Rufus  sat  down,  and  turned  the  matter  over  in  hia 
mind.  He  couldn't  make  up  his  mind  what  Martin's 
business  was,  but  decided  that  it  was  something 
unlawful,  and  that  he  was  either  employed  by  Smith, 
or  connected  in  some  way  with  him.  It  seemed  to 
him  probable  that  his  rstep-father,  ir  waylaying  him 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         221 

and  stealing  the  tin  box,  had  acted  under  the  direc 
tion  of  Smith,  and  that  probably  the  box  was  at  that 
very  moment  in  the  possession  of  the  superior  villain. 

"  If  I  could  only  find  the  box  and  escape  with  it," 
thought  Rufus,  "  that  would  set  me  right  with  Mr. 
Turner." 

But  there  seemed  little  chance  of  that.  It  did  not 
seem  very  probable  even  that  he  could  escape  from 
the  room  in  which  he  was  confined,  much  less  carry 
out  the  plan  he  had  in  view. 

While  he  was  thinking  over  his  situation,  the  key 
turned  in  the  lock,  and  the  door  was  opened.  Rufus 
looked  up,  expecting  to  see  Martin ;  but  instead  of 
his  step-father  there  entered  the  boy  already  referred 
to  as  Humpy. 

Humpy  carried  in  his  hand  a  plate  of  meat  and 
vegetables. 

"  Here's  your  dinner/'  he  said,  laying  the  plate 
down,  while  he  locked  the  door  behind  him. 

"  Look  here,  Johnny,"  said  Rufus,  "you  served  me 
a  mean  trick." 

Humpy  chuckled. 


222  RUFVS  AND  HOSE;  OR, 

"  You  came  in  just  as  innocent,"  he  said.  "  It 
was  jolly." 

"  Maybe  it  is,  but  I  don't  see  it.  You  told  me  a 
lie." 

"Didn't  you  find  the  man  you  was  after?"  said 
Humpy. 

"  You  told  me  he  was  sick." 

"  So  he  is.  He's  in  delicate  health,  and  couldn't 
go  to  business  to-day." 

"  What  is  his  business?  "  asked  Rufus,  a  little  too 
eagerly. 

Humpy  put  his  thumbs  to  his  nose,  and  twirled  his 
fingers  with  a  grin  of  intelligence. 

"Don't  you  wish  you  knew?"  he  said  tantaliz- 
ingly. 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  the  tin  box?" 
asked  Rufus,  seeing  that  his  former  question  was  not 
likely  to  be  answered. 

"  Maybe  I  do." 

"  It's  in  this  house." 

"  Oh,  is  it?  Well,  if  you  know  that,  there's  no  use 
of  my  telling  you." 


THE   FORTUNES   OP  ROUGH  AND   READY.         223 

"  I  can't  make  much  of  him,"  thought  Rufus.  He's 
A  young  imp,  and  it  isn't  easy  to  get  round  h\m." 

He  looked  at  Humpy  meditatively,  and  it  occurred 
to  him  whether  it  would  not  be  well  to  spring  upon 
him,  snatch  the  key,  release  himself  from  the  room, 
and  dash  downstairs.  So  far  as  the  boy  was  con 
cerned,  this  plan  was  practicable.  Rufus  was  much 
his  superior  in  strength,  and  could  master  him  with 
out  difficulty.  But,  doubtless,  Martin  and  Smith 
were  below.  They  would  hear  the  noise  of  the  strug 
gle,  and  would  cut  off  his  flight.  Evidently  that  plan 
would  not  work.  Another  suggested  itself  to  him. 

"  Johnny,"  said  he,  "  don't  you  want  to  make  some 
money  ? " 

Here  he  attacked  the  boy  on  his  weak  side. 
Humpy  was  fonrl  of  money.  He  had  already  scraped 
together  about  twenty  dollars  from  the  meagre  pay 
he  received,  and  had  it  carefully  secreted. 

"  Of  course  I  do,"  he  answered.  "  How'm  I  to  do 
it?" 

"Til  tell  you.  That  tin  box  contained  property 
of  value.  It  doesn't  belong  to  me.  It  belongs  to 
Mr.  Turner,  the  banker.  I  was  trying  to  recover  it 


224  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  0/2, 

when  you  got  me  to  come  in  here  this  morning. 
Now  what  I  want  to  say,  is  this.  Get  that  tin  box 
for  me,  and  help  me  to  get  away  with  it,  and  it'll  be 
worth  fifty  dollars  to  you." 

Fifty  dollars !  Humpy's  eyes  sparkled  when  he 
heard  the  sum  named ;  but  prudence  came  to  his  aid, 
fortified  by  suspicion. 

"  Who's  a-goin'  to  pay  it?"  he  asked. 

"  Mr.  Turner." 

"S'posin'he  don't?" 

"  Then  I  will." 

"  Where'd  you  raise  the  money?" 

"  I'm  not  rich,  but  I'm  worth  a  good  deal  more 
than  that.  I'd  rather  pay  it  out  of  my  own  pocket 
than  not  get  back  that  box." 

But  if  Humpy  was  fond  of  money,  he  had  also  a 
rude  sense  of  honor,  which  taught  him  to  be  faithful 
to  his  employer.  He  did  want  the  money,  and  then 
there  was  something  in  our  hero's  look  that  made  him 
pretty  sure  that  he  would  keep  his  promise.  So  he 
put  away  the  seductive  temptation,  though  reluct 
antly. 

"  I  aint  a-goin'  to  do  it,"  he  said,  doggedly. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.          225 

»'  Perhaps  you'll  think  better  of  it,"  said  Rufus, 
who,  in  spite  of  the  boy's  manner,  saw  the  struggle 
in  his  mind.  "  If  you  do,  just  let  me  know." 

"  I've  got  to  be  goin',"  said  Humpy,  and,  unlocking 
the  door,  he  went  out,  locking  it  again  directly. 

Rufus  turned  his  attention  to  the  dinner,  which  he 
found  of  good  quality.  Despite  his  imprisonment, 
his  appetite  was  excellent,  and  he  ate  all  there  was 
of  it. 

"  I  must  keep  up  my  strength  at  any  rate,"  he  said 
to  himself;  "  I  may  need  it." 

Meanwhile,  as  there  was  no  longer  anything  to 
dread,  Rufus  being  a  prisoner,  Martin  went  out  in 
the  service  of  his  employer. 

"  Now,"  thought  he,  reflecting  with  satisfaction  on 
his  signal  triumph  over  Rufus,  "  if  I  only  knew  where 
Rose  was,  I'd  go  after  her,  and  her  brother  shouldn't 
get  hold  of  her  again  in  a  hurry.  He's  got  enough  to 
do  to  take  care  of  himself." 

This  was  pleasant  to  think  about ;  but  Martin  had 
not  the  least  idea  where  Rose  was,  and  was  not  likely 
to  find  out. 

Meanwhile   something   happened   in  the  counter- 

15 


226  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

feller's  den,  which  was  destined  to  prove  of  advantage 
to  Rufus. 

Smith  sent  Humpy  out  on  an  errand.  The  boy 
was  detained  unavoidably,  and  returned  an  hour  later 
than  he  was  expected.  Smith  was  already  in  an  ill- 
temper,  which  the  late  return  of  his  emissary  aggra 
vated. 

"What  made  you  so  late?"  he  demanded,  with 
lowering  brow. 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,"  said  Humpy. 

"Don't  tell  me  that!"  roared  Smith.  "You 
stopped  to  play  on  the  way  ;  I  know  you  did." 

"  No,  I  didn't,"  said  Humpy,  angrily. 

"Do  you  dare  to  contradict  me,  you  villanoua 
little  humpback?"  screamed  Smith.  "  I'll  teach  you 
to  do  it  again." 

He  clutched  the  boy  by  the  collar,  and,  seizing  a 
horsewhip,  brought  it  down  with  terrible  force  on  the 
boy's  shrinking  form. 

"  Let  me  go  !  Don't  beat  me !  "  screamed  Humpy, 
in  mingled  fear  and.rage. 

"  Not  till  I've  cured  you,"  retorted  Smith.    Twice 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.    227 

mere  he  struck  the  humpbacked  boy  with  the  whip, 
and  then  threw  him  on  the  floor. 

"That's  what  you  get  for  contradicting  me,"  he 
said. 

The  boy  rose  slowly  and  painfully,  and  limped  out 
of  the  room.  His  face  was  pale,  but  his  heart  was 
filled  with  a  burning  sense  of  humiliation  and  anger 
against  the  man  who  had  assaulted  him.  It  would 

O 

have  been  well  for  Smith  if  he  had  controlled  himself 
better,  for  the  boy  was  not  one  of  the  forgiving  kind, 
but  harbored  resentment  with  an  Indian-like  tenacity, 
and  was  resolved  to  be  revenged. 

He  crawled  upstairs  to  the  small  attic  room  in 
which  he  usually  slept,  and,  entering,  threw  himself 
upon  the  bed,  face  downward,  where  he  burst  into  a 
passion  of  grief,  shame,  and  rage,  which  shook  his 
crooked  form  convulsively.  This  lasted  for  fifteen 
minutes,  when  he  became  more  quiet. 

Then  he  got  up  slowly,  and,  going  to  a  corner  of 
the  room,  lifted  up  a  board  from  which  the  nails  ap 
peared  to  have  been  drawn  out,  and  drew  from  be 
neath  a  calico  bag.  This  he  opened,  and  exposed  to 


228  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

view  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  coins,  which  he 
took  out  and  counted. 

"  Twenty  dollars  and  nineteen  cents  !  "  lie  said  to 
himself.  "  I've  been  more'n  a  year  gettin'  it.  That 
boy  offers  me  fifty  dollars,  —  most  three  times  as 
much,  —  if  I'll  get  him  the  tin  box  and  help 
him  to  escape.  I  said  I  wouldn't  do  it ;  but  he 
hadn't  struck  me  then.  He  hadn't  called  me  a  vil- 
lanous  humpback.  Now  he's  got  to  pay  for  it, 
He'll  wish  he  hadn't  done  it ; "  and  the  boy  clenched 
his  fist,  and  shook  it  vindictively.  "  Now,  how'll  I 
get  the  box?" 

He  sat  on  the  bed  thinking  for  some  time,  then, 
composing  his  countenance,  he  went  downstairs.  He 
resolved  to  assume  his  usual  manner,  in  order  not  to 
excite  Smith's  suspicion. 

Smith  had  by  this  time  got  over  his  rage,  and  was 
rather  sorry  he  had  struck  the  boy  so  brutally,  for  he 
knew  very  well  that  Humpy  might  prove  a  dangerous 
enemy.  He  glanced  at  Humpy's  face  when  he  came 
downstairs,  but  saw  nothing  unusual. 

"  Oh,  he'll  forget  all  about  it,"  he  thought  to  him 
self. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         229 

k'  Here's  ten  cents,  Humpy,"  he  said.  "  Maybe  I 
struck  you  too  hard.  Go  and  buy  yourself  some 
candy." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  boy,  taking  the  money. 

"  I've  another  errand  for  you." 

He  told  what  it  was. 

"  Go  and  come  back  as  soon  as  possible." 

Humpy  went  quietly,  and  returned  in  good  season. 

About  five  o'clock,  Martin  not  yet  having  returned, 
Smith  directed  him  to  carry  up  our  hero's  supper. 
There  was  a  little  exultant  sparkle  in  the  boy's  eye, 
as  he  took  the  plate  of  buttered  bread,  and  started  to 
go  upstairs. 

"  So  it's  you,  is  it?"  said  Rufus,  on  the  boy's  en 
trance.  "  Where  is  Martin  ?  " 

"  He  aint  come  in  yet.  Do  you  want  to  s»ee 
him?" 

'*  No,  I'm  not  particular  about  it." 

Humpy  stood  looking  earnestly  at  Rufus  while  he 
was  eating  the  bread  and  butter.  At  length  he  said, 
14  I've  been  thinkin'  over  what  you  said  to  me  at  din 
ner-time.  Shall  I  get  the  fifty  dollars  certain  sure  if 
I  do  what  you  want  ?  " 


230  EUFUS  AND   ROSE,    OR, 

"  Yes,"  said  Rufus,  eagerly.  "  Get  ine  the  tin 
box,  and  help  me  to  escape,  and  the  money  shall  be 
yours." 

"Honor  bright?" 
v    "  Honor  bright." 


THE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         231 


CHAPTER     XXI. 

SUSPENSE. 

RUFUS  generally  reached  his  boarding-house  at 
half-past  five  o'clock.  Sometimes  Rose  and  her  two 
young  companions  were  playing  in  Washington  Park 
at  that  time,  and  ran  to  meet  him  when  he  appeared 
in  sight.  But  on  the  night  of  our  hero's  capture  by 
Martin  they  waited  for  him  in  vain. 

"Where  can  Rufie  be?"  thought  Rose,  as  she 
heard  six  o'clock  peal  from  a  neighboring  church- 
tower. 

She  thought  he  might  have  gone  by  without  her 
seeing  him,  and  with  this  idea,  as  it  was  already 
the  hour  for  dinner,  she  went  into  the  house.  She 
ran  upstairs  two  steps  at  a  time,  and  opened  the 
door  of  her  own  room. 

"  You  should  not  have  stayed  out  so  late,  Rose," 
said  Miss  Manning.  "  You  will  hardly  have  time 
to  get  ready  for  dinner." 


232  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o#, 

44 1  was  waiting  for  Rufie.     Has  he  come?  " 

"  No  ;  he  seems  to  be  late  to-night." 

"  I  am  afraid  he's  got  run  over,"  said  Rose  anx 
iously. 

"  Rufus  is  old  enough  to  take  care  of  himself. 
I've  no  doubt  he's  quite  safe." 

"  Then  what  makes  him  so  late?" 

"  He  is  probably  detained  by  business.  But  there 
is  the  bell.  We  must  go  down  to  dinner." 

"  Can't  we  wait  for  Rufie  ?  " 

"  No,  my  dear  child  ;  we  cannot  tell  when  he  will 
be  home." 

"  It  don't  seem  a  bit  pleasant  to  eat  dinner  with 
out  Rufie,"  complained  Rose. 

"  It  isn't  often  he  stays,  Rose.  He'll  tell  us  all 
about  it  when  he  comes." 

They  went  down  and  took  their  seats  at  the 
dinner-table. 

"Where  is  your  brother,  Rose?"  asked  Mrs. 
Clifton. 

"  He  hasn't  got  home,"  said  Rose,  rather  discon 
solately. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  that.     He  is   a  very  agreeable 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.    2.^3 

young  man.  If  I  "wasn't  married,"  simpered  Mrs 
Clifton,  "  I  should  set  my  cap  for  him.  But  I 
mustn't  say  that,  or  Mr.  Clifton  will  be  jealous." 

"  Oh,  don't  mind  me  !  "  said  Mr.  Clifton,  carelessly. 
"  It  won't  spoil  my  appetite." 

"I  don't  think  there's  anything  that  would  spoil 
your  appetite,"  said  his  wife,  rather  sharply,  for  she 
would  have  been  flattered  by  her  husband's  jeal 
ousy. 

"Just  so,"  said  Mr.  Clifton,  coolly.  "May  I 
trouble  you  for  some  chicken,  Mrs.  Clayton?" 

"  You're  a  great  deal  too  old  for  Rufie,  Mrs. 
Clifton,"  said  Rose,  with  more  plainness  than  polite 
ness. 

"  I'm  not  quite  so  young  as  you  are,  Rose,"  said 
Mrs.  Clifton,  somewhat  annoyed.  "  How  old  do 
you  think  I  am?" 

"  Most  fifty,"  answered  Rose,  honestly. 

"  Mercy  sake  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Clifton,  horrified, 
"  what  a  child  you  are !  Why  don't  you  say  a 
hundred,  and  done  with  it  ?  " 

"How  old  are  you,  Mrs.  Clifton?''  persisted 
Rose. 


234  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OB, 

"  Well,  if  you  must  know,  I  shall  be  twenty-five 
next  November." 

Mrs.  Clifton  was  considerably  nearer  thirty-five; 
but,  then,  some  ladies  are  very  apt  to  be  forgetful 
of  their  age. 

The  dinner-hour  passed,  and  Rose  and  Miss 
Manning  left  the  table.  They  went  upstairs  hoping 
that  Rufus  might  be  there  before  them  ;  but  the  room 
was  empty.  An  hour  and  a  half  passed,  and  it  was 
already  beyond  eight,  the  hour  at  which  Rose  usually 
went  to  bed. 

"  Can't  I  sit  up  a  little  later  to-night,  Miss  Man 
ning?"  pleaded  Rose.  "  I  want  to  see  Rufie." 

"  No,  Rose,  I  think  not.  You'll  see  him  in  the 
morning." 

So  Rose  unwillingly  undressed  and  went  to  bed. 

By  this  tune  Miss  Manning  began  to  wonder  a 
little  why  Rufus  did  not  appear.  It  seemed  to  her 
rather  strange  that  he  should  be  detained  by  business 
till  after  eight  o'clock,  and  she  thought  that  an  acci 
dent  might  possibly  have  happened  to  him.  Still 
Rufus  was  a  strong,  manly  boy,  well  able  to  take 
<*are  of  himself,  and  this  was  not  probable. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH    AND   READY.         235 

When  ten  o'clock  came,  and  he  had  not  yet  made 
his  appearance,  she  went  downstairs.  The  door 
of  the  hall  bedroom,  which  Rufus  occupied,  was  open 
and  empty.  This  she  saw  on  the  way.  In  the  hall 
below  she  met  Mrs.  Clayton. 

"  Rufus  has  not  yet  come  in?"  she  said,  interrog 
atively. 

"  No,  I  have  not  seen  him.  I  saved  some  dinner 
for  him,  thinking  he  might  have  been  detained." 

"  I  can't  think  why  he  doesn't  come  home.  I 
think  he  must  be  here  soon.  Do  you  know  if  he  has 
a  latch-key?" 

"  Yes,  he  got  a  new  one  of  me  the  other  day.  Per 
haps  he  has  gone  to  some  place  of  amusement." 

"  He  would  not  go  without  letting  us  know  before 
hand.  He  would  know  we  would  feel  anxious," 

"Yes,  he  is  more  considerate  than  most  young 
men  of  his  age.  I  don't  think  you  need  feel  anxious 
about  him." 

Miss  Manning  went  upstairs  disappointed.  She 
began  to  feel  perplexed  and  anxious.  Suppose 
something  should  happen  to  Rufus,  what  would  they 
do  ?  Rose  would  refuse  to  be  comforted.  She  was 


236  KUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR* 

glad  the  little  girl  was  asleep,  otherwise  she  would  be 
asking  questions  which  she  would  be  unable  to 
answer.  It  was  now  her  hour  for  retiring,  but  she 
resolved  to  sit  up  a  little  longer.  More  than  an 
hour  passed,-  and  still  Rufus  did  not  come.  It 
seemed  unlikely  that  he  would  return  that  night,  and 
Miss  Manning  saw  that  it  was  useless  to  sit  up 
longer.  It  was  possible,  however,  that  he  might 
have  come  in,  and  gone  at  once  j  y  *  om,  thinking 
it  too  late  to  disturb  them.  But,  on  going  down  to 
the  next  floor,  she  saw  that  his  room  was  still  unoc 
cupied. 

Rose  woke  up  early  in  the  morning;  Miss  Man 
ning  was  already  awake. 

"  Did  Rufie  come  last  night?"  asked  the  little  girl. 

"  He  had  not  come  when  I  went  to  bed,"  was  the 
answer.  "  Perhaps  he  came  in  afterwards." 

"  May  I  dress  and  go  down  and  see?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  would  like  to." 

Rose  dressed  quicker  than  usual,  and  went  down 
stairs.  She  came  up  'again  directly,  with  a  look  of 
disappointment. 

"  Miss  Manning,  he  is  not  here,"  she  said.     "  His 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.         237 

chamber  door  is  open,  and  I  saw  that  he  had  not 
ulept  in  his  be<f." 

"  Very  likely  Mr.  Turner  sent  him  out  of  the  city 
on  business,"  said  Miss  Manning,  with  an  indiffer 
ence  which  she  did  not  feel. 

u  I  wish  he'd  come,"  said  Rose.  "  I  shall  give  him 
a  good  scolding,  when  he  gets  home,  for  staying  away 
FO  long." 

"Has  not  i»n.  ..^^itou  come?"  asked  Mrs.  Clay 
ton,  at  the  breakfast-table. 

"  Not  yet.     I  suppose  he  is  detained  by  business." 

Just  after  breakfast,  Miss  Manning,  as  usual,  took 
the  three  little  girls  out  in  the  Park  to  play.  It  was 
their  custom  to  come  in  about  nine  o'clock  to  study. 
This  morning,  however,  their  governess  went  to  Mrs. 
Colman  and  said,  "  I  should  like  to  take  this  morn 
ing,  if  you  have  no  objection.  I  am  feeling  a  little 
anxious  about  Rufus,  who  did  not  come  home  last 
night.  I  would  like  to  go  to  the  office  where  he  is 
employed,  and  inquire  whether  he  has  been  sent  out 
of  town  on  any  errand." 

"  Certainly,  Miss  Manning.  The  little  girls  can 
go  out  and  play  in  the  Park  while  you  are  gone." 


238  RVFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

"  Thank  you." 

"Where  are  you  going,  Miss  Manning?"  asked 
Rose,  seeing  that  the  governess  was  preparing  to  go 
out. 

"  I  am  going  to  Rune's  office  to  see  why  he  stayed 
away." 

"  May  I  go  with  you?  "  asked  Rose,  eagerly. 

"  No,  Rose,  j^ou  had  better  stay  at  home.  The 
streets  are  very  crowded  down  town,  and  I  shouldn't 
like  to  venture  to  cross  Broadway  with  you.  You  can 
go  and  play  in  the  Park." 

"  And  shan't  we  have  any  lessons?  " 

"  Not  this  morning." 

"  That  will  be  nice,"  said  Rose,  who,  like  most  girls 
of  her  age,  enjoyed  a  holiday. 

Miss  Manning  walked  to  Broadway,  and  took  a 
stage.  That  she  knew  would  carry  her  as  far  as 
Wall  Street,  only  a  few  rods  from  Mr.  Turner's 
office.  She  had  seldom  been  in  a  stage,  the  stage 

0 

fare  being  higher  than  in  the  cars,  and  even  four 
cents  made  a  difference  to  her.  She  would  have 
enjoyed  the  brilliant  scene  which  Broadway  always 
presents,  with  its  gay  shop-windows  and  hurrying 


THE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          239 

multitudes,  if  her  mind  had  not  been  preoccupied. 
At  length  Trinity  spire  came  in  sight.  When  they 
reached  the  great  church  which  forms  so  prominent  a 
landmark  in  the  lower  part  of  Broadway,  she  got 
out,  and  turned  into  Wall  Street. 

It  did  not  take  her  long  to  find  Mr.  Turner's  num 
ber.  She  had  never  been  there  before,  and  had 
never  met  Mr.  Turner,  and  naturally  felt  a  little 
diffident  about  going  into  the  office.  It  was  on  the 
second  floor.  She  went  up  the  stairway,  and  timidly 
entered.  She  looked  about  her,  but  Rufus  was  not 
to  be  seen.  At  first  no  one  noticed  her ;  but  finally 
a  clerk,  with  a  pen  behind  his  ear,  came  out  frora 
behind  the  line  of  desks. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  ma'am?  "  he  asked. 

als  Rufus  Rushton  here?"  she  inquired. 

"  No,  he  is  not." 

u  Was  he  here  yesterday?" 

"  He's  out  of  the  office  just  now,  on  some  business 
of  Mr.  Turner's.  That's  Mr.  Turner,  if  you  would 
like  to  speak  to  him." 

Miss   Manning  turned,  and  saw  Mr.  Turner  just 


240  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

entering  the  office.     He  was  a  pleasant-looking  man, 
and  this  gave  her  courage  to  address  him. 

"  Mr.  Turner,"  she  said,  "  I  came  to  ask  about 
Rufus  Rushton.  He  did  not  come  home  last  night, 
and  I  am  feeling  anxious  about  nim." 

"  Indeed  !  "  said  the  banker,  u  I  am  surprised  to 
hear  that.  It  leads  me  to  think  that  he  may  have 
found  a  clue  to  the  stolen  box." 

"  The  stolen  box !  "  repeated  Miss  Manning,  in 
surprise. 

"  Yes  ;  did  he  not  tell  you  of  it  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

Mr.  Turner  briefly  related  the  particulars  already 
known  to  the  reader.  "  I  think,"  he  said,  in  con 
clusion,  "  Rufus  must  have  tracked  the  man  Martin, 
and  —  " 

"  Martin  !  "  interrupted  Miss  Manning.  "  Was  he 
the  thief?  " 

"  Yes,  so  Rufus  tells  me.     Do  you  know  him? " 

"  I  have  good  reason  to.  He  is  a  very  bad  man, 
I  hope  he  has  not  got  Rufus  in  his  power." 

"  I  don't  think  you  need  feel  apprehensive.     Rufiie 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         241 

is  a  smart  boy,  and  knows  how  to  take  care  of  him 
self.  He'll  come  out  right,  I  have  no  doubt." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Mr.  Turner.  J 
will  bid  you  good-morning,  with  thanks  for  your 
kindness." 

"  If  Rufus  comes  in  this  morning,  I  will  let  him  go 
home  at  once,  that  your  anxiety  may  be  relieved." 

With  this  assurance  Miss  Manning  departed.  She 
had  learned  something,  but,  in  spite  of  the  banker's 
assurance,  she  felt  troubled.  She  knew  Martin  was 
a  bad  man,  and  she  was  afraid  Rufus  would  come  te 

harm. 

16 


242  EUPUS  AND  ROSE;  ojt» 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

MARTIN   GROWS    SUSPICIOUS. 

OUR  hero's  interview  with  Humpy  gave  him  new 
courage.  When  he  had  felt  surrounded  by  enemies 
the  chances  seemed  against  him.  Now  he  had  a 
friend  in  the  house,  who  was  interested  in  securing 
his  escape.  Not  only  this,  but  there  was  a  fair 
chance  of  recovering  the  box  for  which  he  was  seek 
ing.  On  the  whole,  therefore,  Rufus  was  in  very 
good  spirits. 

About  nine  o'clock  he  heard  a  step  on  the  stairs, 
which  he  recognized  as  that  of  his  step-father.  He 
had  good  reason  to  remember  that  step.  Many  a 
time  while  his  mother  was  alive,  and  afterwards  while 
they  were  living  in  Leonard  Street,  he  had  listened 
to  it  coming  up  the  rickety  staircase,  and  dreaded 
the  entrance  of  the  man  whose  presence  was  never 
welcome. 

After  some  fumbling  at  the  lock  the  door  opened. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  HOUGH  AND  READY.    243 

and  Martin  entered.  It  was  dark,  and  he  could  not 
at  first  see  Rufus. 

"  Where  are  you,  you  young  villain?"  he  inquired, 
with  a  hiccough. 

Rufus  did  not  see  fit  to  answer  when  thus  addressed. 

"  Where  are  you,  I  say  ?  "  repeated  Martin. 

"  Here  I  am,"  answered  Rufus. 

"  Why  didn't  you  speak  before?  Didn't  you  hear 
me  ?  "  demanded  his  step-father,  angrily. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Martin,  I  heard  you,"  said  Rufus,  com 
posedly. 

"  Then  why  didn't  you  answer?" 

"  Because  you  called  me  a  young  villain." 

"  Well,  you  are  one." 

Rufus  dil  not  answer. 

Martin  ioc&e*i  the  door  and  put  the  key  in  his 
pocket  He  next  struck  a  match,  and  lit  the  gas. 
The!,  seating  himself  in  a  rocking-chair,  still  with 
ms  bat  on,  he  looked  at  Rufus  with  some  curiosit},. 
mingled  with  triumph. 

**  I  hope  £ou  like  your  accommodations,"  he  said. 

"  Pretty  weU>- 

"  We  don't  charge  you  nothing  for  board,  you  see, 


244  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

and  you  "haven't  any  work  to  do.  That's  what  I 
call  living  like  a  gentleman." 

"I  believe  you  tried  the  same  kind  of  life  at 
Blackwell's  Island,"  said  Rufus. 

"  Look  here,"  said  Martin,  roughly,  "  you'd  better 
not  insult  me.  I  didn't  come  here  to  be  insulted." 

"  What  did  you  come  for,  then?"  asked  Rufus. 

"  I  thought  you'd  like  to  know  how  Rose  was," 
answered  Martin. 

"  I  don't  believe  you  have  seen  her." 

"Well,  you  needn't  believe  it.  Perhaps  I  didn't 
meet  her  on  the  street,  and  follow  her  home.  She 
begged  me  to  tell  her  where  you  was  ;  but  I  couldn't 
do  it." 

Rufus  felt  a  temporary  uneasiness  when  he  heard 
this  statement ;  but  there  was  something  in  Martin's 
manner  which  convinced  him  that  he  had  not  been 
telling  the  truth.  He  decided  to  change  the  sub 
ject. 

"  Mr.  Martin,"  he  said,  "  have  you  made  up  your 
mind  to  give  up  that  tin  box  ?  " 

"  No  I  haven't.     I  can't  spare  it." 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.         245 

"  If  you  will  give  it  up,  I  will  see  that  you  are  not 
punished  for  taking  it." 

"  I  aint  a-goin'  to  be  punished  for  taking  it." 

"  You  certainly  will  be  if  you  are  caught." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  it?  " 

"  There  was  a  man  convicted  of  the  same  thing 
three  months  ago,  and  he  got  five  years  for  it." 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  Martin,  uneasily. 

"  You  needn't  if  you  don't  want  to." 

"  I  haven't  got  the  box  now,  so  I  couldn't  givG  it 
back.  Smith's  got  it." 

"  Is  that  the  man  I  saw  this  morning  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Then  you'd  better  ask  him  to  give  it  back  to 
you." 

"  He  wouldn't  do  it  if  I  asked  him." 

"  Then  I'm  sorry  for  you." 

Martin  was  not  very  brave,  and  in  spite  of  his 
assertions  he  felt  uneasy  at  what  Rufus  was  saying 
Besides,  he  felt  rather  afraid  of  our  hero.  He  kne\? 
that  Rufus  was  a  resolute,  determined  boy,  and  that 
he  could  not  keep  him  confined  forever.  Some  time 
he  would  get  out,  and  Martin  feared  that  he  would 


246  EUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

set  the  officers  on  his  track.  The  remark  of  Smith 
that  he  would  make  a  good  boy  for  their  business 
occurred  to  him,  and  he  determined  to  try  him  on  a 
new  tack,  If  he  could  get  him  compromised  by  a 
connection  with  their  business,  it  would  be  for  hia 
interest  also  to  keep  clear  of  the  police. 

"Rufus,"  said  Martin,  edging  his  chair  towards 
our  hero,  "  Fin  your  friend." 

Rufus  was  rather  astonished  at  this  sudden  declar 
ation. 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it,"  he  said ;  "  but  I  don't  think 
you've  treated  me  in  a  very  friendly  manner." 

"  About  the  tin  box? " 

"  Yes,  partly  that.  If  you're  my  friend,  you  will 
return  it,  and  not  keep  me  locked  up  here." 

"  Never  mind,  Rufus,  I've  got  a  business  proposal 
to  make  to  you.  You're  a  smart  boy." 

"  I  am  glad  you  think  so." 

"  And  I  can  give  you  a  chance  to  make  a  good 
living." 

u  I  am  making  a  good  living  now,  or  I  was  before 
you  interfered  with  me." 

"  How  much  did  you  earn  a  week  ?  " 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.         247 

*'  Why  do  you  want  to  know?  " 

"  Was  it  over  ten  dollars  a  week?" 

"About  that?" 

"  I  know  a  business  that  will  pay  you  fifteen 
dollars  a  week." 

"What  is  it?" 

"It  is  the  one  I'm  in.  I  earn  a  hundred  dollars 
a  month." 

"  If  you  are  earning  as  much  as  that,  I  shouldn't 
think  you'd  need  to  steal  tin  boxes." 

"There  wasn't  much  in  it.  Only  a  hundred  dol 
lars  in  money." 

"You  are  not  telling  me  the  truth.  There  were 
four  hundred  dollars  in  it." 

"What  was  that  you  said?"  asked  Martin,  prick 
ing  up  his  ears. 

"  There  were  four  hundred  dollars  in  it." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Turner  told  me  so." 

"  Smith  told  me  there  were  only  a  hundred.  He 
opened  it,  and  gave  me  half." 

"  Then  he  gave  you  fifty,  and  kept  three  hundred 
and  fifty  himself." 


248  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  UR, 

"If  I  thought  that,  I'd  smash  his  head!"  said 
Martin,  angrily.  "  Make  me  run  all  the  risk,  and 
then  cheat  me  out  of  my  hard  earnin's.  Do  you  call 
that  fair?" 

"  I  think  he's  been  cheating  you,"  said  Rufus,  not 
sorry  to  see  Martin's  anger  with  his  confederate. 

"  It's  a  mean  trick,"  said  Martin,  indignantly. 
"  I'd  ought  to  have  got  two  hundred.  It  was  worth 
it." 

"  I  wouldn't  do  what  you  did  for  a  good  deal  more 
than  two  hundred  dollars.  You  haven't  told  me  what 
that  business  was  that  I  could  earn  fifteen  dollars  a 
week  at." 

"  No,"  said  Martin,  "  I've  changed  my  mind  about 
it.  If  Smith's  goin'  to  serve  me  such  a  mean  trick, 
I  won't  work  for  him  no  longer.  I'll  speak  to  him 
about  it  to-morrow." 

Martin  relapsed  into  silence.  Rufus  had  given  him 
something  to  think  about,  which  disturbed  him  con 
siderably.  Though  he  had  been  disappointed  in  the 
Contents  of  the  box,  he  had  not  for  a  moment  doubted 
»he  good  faith  of  his  confederate,  and  he  was  pro 
portionately  incensed  now  that  the  latter  had  appro- 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND    READY.         249 

priated  seven  dollars  to  his  one.  Considering  that 
he  had  done  all  the  work,  and  incurred  all  the  danger, 
it  did  seem  rather  hard. 

There  was  one  bed  in  the  room,  rather  a  narrow 
one. 

"I'm  goin'  to  bed,"  said  Martin,  at  length. 
"  I  guess  the  bed'll  be  big  enough  for  us  both." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Rufus,  who  did  not  fancy  the 
idea  of  sleeping  with  his  step-father.  "  If  you'll  give 
me  one  of  the  pillows,  I'll  sleep  on  the  floor." 

"Just  as  you  say,  but  you'll  find  it  rather  hard 
sleepin'." 

"  I  shan't  mind." 

This  was  the  arrangement  they  adopted.  Martin 
took  off  his  coat  and  vest,  and  threw  himself  on  the 
bed.  He  was  soon  asleep,  as  his  heavy  breathing 
clearly  indicated.  Rufus,  stretched  on  the  floor,  lay 
awake  longer.  It  occurred  to  him  that  he  might 
easily  take  the  key  of  the  door  from  the  pocket  of 
Martin's  vest,  which  lay  on  the  chair  at  his  bedside, 
and  so  let  himself  out  of  the  room.  But  even  then 
it  would  be  uncertain  whether  he  could  get  oit  of 


?50  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

the  house,  and  he  would  have  to  leave  the  tin  box 
behind  him.  This  he  hoped  to  get  hold  of  through 
Humpy's  assistance.  On  the  whole,  thei^fope»  f* 
seemed  best  to  wait  a  little  longer. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY    251 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

ESCAPE. 

HUMPY  made  up  his  mind  to  accept  our  hero's  offer. 
Fifty  dollars  was  to  him  a  small  fortune,  and  he  saw 
no  reason  why  he  should  not  earn  it.  The  brutal 
treatment  he  had  received  from  Smith  removed  all 
the  objections  he  had  at  first  felt. 

Now,  how  was  he  going  to  fulfil  his  part  of  the 
compact  ? 

To  release  Rufus  would  be  comparatively  easy. 
He  happened  to  know  that  the  key  of  his  own  room 
in  the  attic  would  also  fit  the  door  of  the  chamber  in 
which  our  hero  was  confined.  The  difficulty  was  to 
get  possession  of  the  tin  box.  He  did  not  even  know 
where  it  was  concealed,  and  must  trust  to  his  own 
sagacity  to  find  out. 

To  this  end  he  watched  his  employer  carefully 
whenever  he  got  a  chance  to  do  so  without  being 
observed,  hoping  he  might  take  the  box  out  from  itfl 


252  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  ou^ 

place  of  concealment.  Finally  Smith  noticed  the 
boy's  glances,  and  said,  roughly,  "What  are  you 
looking  at,  boy  ?  Do  you  think  you  shall  know  me 
the  next  time  you  see  me  ?  " 

Humpy  did  not  reply,  but  this  made  him  more 
careful. 

In  the  morning  he  took  up  our  hero's  breakfast, 
meeting  Martin  on  his  way  downstairs. 

"Well,"  said  Rufus,  eagerly,  as  he  entered  the 
room,  "  have  you  found  out  anything  about  the 
box?" 

"Not  yet,"  said  Humpy.  "I'm  tryin'  to  find 
where  he's  hid  it.  I  can  let  you  out  any  time." 

"How?" 

"  I've  got  a  key  that  fits  this  lock." 

"  That's  well,  but  I'd  rather  wait  till  I  can  carry 
the  box  with  me." 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  said  Humpy.  "  I'm  goin' 
to  watch  him  sharp.  I'd  better  go  clown  now,  or 
maybe  he'll  be  suspectin'  something." 

Humpy  went  downstairs,  leaving  Rufus  to  eat  his 
breakfast.  On  his  way  down  his  attention  was 
drawn  by  angry  voices,  proceeding  from  the  roon> 


THJ*  FORTUNES    OF  IlOUGff  AND   READY.         253 

In  which  he  had  left  Smith.  He  comprehended  at 
once  that  Smith  and  Martin  were  having  a  dispute 
about  something.  He  stood  still  and  listened  atten 
tively,  and  caught  the  following  conversation  :  — 

"  The  boy  tells  me,"  said  Martin,  doggedly,  "  that 
there  was  four  hundred  dollars  in  the  box.  You  only 
gave  me  fifty." 

"  Then  the  boy  lies  !  "  said  Smith,  irritated. 

"  I  don't  believe  he  does,"  said  Martin.  "  I  don't 
like  him  myself,  but  he  aint  in  the  habit  of  telling 
lies." 

"  Perhaps  you  believe  him  sooner  than  you  do 
me." 

"I  don't  see  where  the  three  hundred  dollars 
went,"  persisted  Martin.  "  Considerin'  that  I  did  all 
the  work,  fifty  dollars  was  very  small  for  me." 

"  You  got  half  what  there  was.  If  there'd  been 
more,  you'd  have  got  more." 

"  Why  didn't  you  wait  and  open  the  box  when  I 
was  there  ?  " 

"  Look  here,"  said  Smith,  menacingly,  "  if  you 
think  I  cheated  you,  you  might  as  well  say  so  right 
out.  I  don't  like  beating  around  the  bush." 


254  RUFUS  AND  ROSE,    OR, 

"The  boy  says  there  was  four  hundred  dollars. 
Turner  told  him  so." 

"  Then  Turner  lies  !  "  exclaimed  Smith,  who  was 
the  more  angry,  because  the  charge  was  a  true  one. 
"The  box  is  just  as  it  was  when  I  opened  it.  I'll 
bring  it  out  and  show  you  just  where  I  found  the 
money." 

When  Humpy  heard  this,  his  eyes  sparkled  with 
excitement  and  anticipation.  Now,  if  ever,  he  would 
find  out  the  whereabouts  of  the  tin  box.  Luckily  for 
him  the  door  was  just  ajar,  and  by  standing  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  staircase  he  could  manage  to  see 
into  the  room. 

He  saw  Smith  go  to  a  desk  at  the  centre  of  one 
side  of  the  room,  and  open  a  drawer  in  it.  From  this 
he  drew  out  the  box,  and,  opening  it,  displayed  the 
contents  to  Martin. 

"There,"  said  he,  "that's  where  I  found  the 
money.  There  was  a  roll  of  ten  ten-dollar  bills.  I 
divided  them  into  two  equ«l  parts,  and  gave  you 
your  share.  I  was  "disappointed  myself,  for  I  ex 
pected  more.  I  didn't  think  you'd  suspect  me  of 
cheating  you.  But  I  don't  want  any  fuss.  I'll  give 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         255 

you  ten  dollars  off  my  share,  and  then  you  can't 
complain." 

So  saying,  he  took  out  a  ten  from  his  pocket-book, 
and  handed  it  to  Martin. 

"  Are  you  satisfied  now?"  he  asked. 

"I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  be,"  said  Martin, 
rather  sullenly,  for  he  was  by  no  means  sure  of  the 
veracity  of  his  confederate. 

"  It's  all  I  can  do  for  you  at  any  rate,"  said  Smith. 
"  And  now  suppose  we  take  breakfast.  I  shall  want 
you  to  go  to  Newark  to-day." 

He  replaced  the  box  in  the  drawer,  and,  locking  it, 
put  the  key  in  his  pocket. 

By  this  time  Humpy  thought  it  would  do  to  re» 
appear. 

"Where've  you  been  all  the  time?"  asked  Smith, 
roughly. 

"  The  boy  upstairs  was  talkin'  to  me." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"  He  asked  what  was  your  business." 

"  What  did  you  tell  him?  " 

"  I  told  him  I  didn't  rightly  know ;  but  I  thought 
you  was  a  manufacturer." 


256  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/?, 

"  Right,  Humpy ;  you're  a  smart  boy,"  laughed 
Smith.  "You  know  a  thing  or  two." 

The  boy  showed  his  teeth,  and  appeared  pleased 
with  the  compliment. 

44  What  else  did  he  ask?" 

"He  asked,  would  I  let  him  out? " 

"  Did  he,  the  young  rascal?  And  what  did  you 
tell  him?" 

"  Not  for  Joe ! " 

"  Good  for  you  !  There's  a  quarter  ;  "  and  Smith 
offered  the  boy  twenty-five  cents. 

"  If  he'd  done  that  yesterday  instead  of  hittin'  me," 
thought  Humpy,  "  I  wouldn't  have  gone  ag*inst 
him." 

But  the  money  came  too  late.  Humpy  had  a 
brooding  sense  of  wrong,  not  easily  removed,  and  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  betray  his  employer. 

The  breakfast  proceeded,  Humpy  waiting  upon  the 
table.  When  the  meal  was  over,  Smith  gave  Martin 
some  instructions,  and  the  latter  set  out  for  Newark, 
which  was  to  be  the  scene  of  his  operations  during 
the  day.  About  half  an  hour  later  Smith  said, 
"  Humpy,  I've  got  to  go  down  town  ;  I  may  be  gone 


1HE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         257 

all  the  forenoon.  Stay  in  the  house  while  I  am  gone, 
and  look  out,  above  all,  that  that  boy  upstairs  don't 
escape." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Humpy. 

When  Smith  left,  the  coast  was  clear.  There  were 
none  in  the  house  except  Rufus  and  the  boy  who 
was  expected  to  stand  guard  over  him.  The  giant 
had  gone  to  Philadelphia  on  some  business,  precisely 
what  Humpy  did  not  understand,  and  there  was  noth 
ing  to  prevent  his  carrying  out  his  plans. 

He  had  two  or  three  old  keys  in  his  pocket,  and 
with  these  he  eagerly  tried  the  lock  of  the  drawer. 
But  none  exactly  fitted.  One  was  too  large,  the 
other  two  were  too  small. 

Humpy  decided  what  to  do.  He  left  the  house, 
and  went  to  a  neighboring  locksmith. 

"  I  want  to  get  a  key,"  he  said. 

"What  size?" 

"  A  little  smaller  than  this." 

"  I  must  know  the  exact  size,  or  I  can't  suit  you. 
What  is  it  the  key  of?  " 

"  A  drawer." 

"  I  can  go  with  you  to  the  house." 

IT 


258  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OT?, 

"  That  won't  do,"  said  Humpy.  "  I've  lost  the 
key,  and  I  don't  want  the  boss  to  know  it.  He'd 
find  out  if  you  went  to  the  house." 

"Then  I'll  tell  you  what  you  can  do.  Take  an 
impression  of  the  lock  in  wax.  I'll  give  you  some 
wax,  and  show  you  how.  Then  I'll  make  a  key  for 
you." 

"  Can  you  do  it  right  off?     I'm  in  a  great  hurry." 

"  Yes,  my  son,  I'll  attend  to  it  right  away." 

He  brought  a  piece  of  wax,  and  showed  Humpy 
how  to  take  an  impression  of  a  lock. 

14  There,"  said  he,  laughing,  "  that's  the  first  lesson 
in  burglary." 

Humpy  lost  no  time  in  hurrying  back  and  follow 
ing  the  locksmith's  instructions.  He  then  returned 
to  the  shop. 

"  How  soon  can  I  have  the  key  ?  " 

44  In  an  hour.  I'm  pretty  sure  I've  got  a  key  that 
will  fit  this  impression  with  a  little  filing  down. 
Come  back  in  an  hour,  and  you  shall  have  it." 

Humpy  went  back,  and  seeing  that  there  were 
some  traces  of  wax  on  the  lock,  he  carefully  washed 


TJTE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND    READY.         259 

them  off  with  soap.  A  little  before  the  hour  was 
up,  he  reported  himself  at  the  locksmith's. 

"  Your  key  is  all  ready  for  you,"  said  the  smith. 
"  I  guess  it  will  answer." 

"  How  much  is  it?" 

"  Twenty-five  cents." 

Humpy  paid  the  money,  and  hurried  to  the  house, 
anxious  to  make  his  experiment. 

The  locksmith's  assurance  was  verified.  The  key 
did  answer.  The  drawer  opened,  and  the  errand- 
boy's  eyes  sparkled  with  pleasure  as  they  rested  on 
the  box.  He  snatched  it,  hastily  relocked  the  drawer, 
and  went  up  the  stairs  two  at  a  tinr*.  He  had  the 
key  of  his  attic  room  in  his  pocket.  With  this  he 
opened  the  door  of  the  chamber,  and,  entering  trium 
phantly,  displayed  to  Rufus  the  tin  box. 

"  I've  got  it ! "  he  ejaculated. 

Rufus  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  hurried  up  to  him. 

"  You're  a  trump  ! "  he  said.  "  rlow  did  you  get 
hold  of  it?" 

"I  haven't  time  to  tell  you  now.  We  must  be 
goin',  or  Mr.  Smith  may  come  back  and  ttop  us." 

"  All  right ! "  said  Rufus  ;  "I'm  ready." 


260  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OK, 

The  two  boys  ran  downstairs,  arid,  opening  the 
front  door,  made  their  egress  into  the  street,  Rufus 
With  the  tin  box  under  his  arm. 

"  Where  will  we  go?  "  asked  Humpy. 

"  Are  you  going  with  me?  " 

"  Yes,  I  want  that  money." 

"You  shall  have  it.  You  have  fairly  earned  it, 
and  I'll  see  that  you  get  it,  if  I  have  to  pay  it  out 
of  my  own  pocket." 

"  I  shan't  go  back,"  said  Humpy. 

"Why  not?" 

"  He'll  know  I  let  you  out.  He'll  murder  me  if  1 
go  back." 

"  I'll  be  your  friend.  Til  get  you  something  to 
do,"  said  Rufus. 

"  Will  you  ?  "  said  the  hunchback,  brightening  up. 

"  Yes.  I  won't  forget  the  service  you  have  done 
me." 

Rufus  had  hardly  got  out  these  words  when 
Humpy  clutched  him  violently  by  the  arm,  and 
pulled  him  into  a  passageway,  the  door  of 
was  open  to  the  street. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.         261 

"  What's  that  for?"  demanded  Eufus,  inclined  to 
be  angry. 

Humpy  put  his  finger  to  his  lip,  and  pointed  to 
the  street.  On  the  opposite  sidewalk  Rufus  saw 
Smith  sauntering  easily  along  with  a  cigar  in  hif 
mouth. 


262  RUFUS  AND  ROSE:   OJU 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

HOW  KUFUS   GOT   BACK. 

IT  happeoed  that  Smith  espied  the  man  whom 
He  wished  to  meet,  from  the  car-window,  just  as  it 
turned  into  Canal  Street.  He  got  out,  therefore,  and, 
adjourning  to  a  whiskey  saloon,  the  two  discussed  a 
matter  of  business  in  which  they  were  jointly  inter 
ested,  and  then  separated.  Thus  Smith  was  enabled 
to  return  home  sooner  than  he  had  anticipated.  He 
little  suspected  that  his  prisoner  had  escaped,  as  he 
walked  complacently  by  on  the  opposite  sidewalk. 

"  It's  lucky  I  saw  him,"  said  Humpy.  "  He  might 
have  nabbed  us." 

"  He  wouldn't  have  nabbed  me,"  said  Rufus,  reso 
lutely.  "He'd  have  found  it  hard  work  to  get  me 
back." 

"He's  stronger  than  you,"  said  Humpy,  doubt* 
fully. 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         263 

"  I'd  have  called  a  copp,  then,"  said  Rufus,  using 
his  old  word  for  policeman. 

"  He'll  kill  me  if  he  ever  gets  hold  of  me,"  said 
Humpy,  shuddering.  "  He  horsewhipped  me  yes- 
terday." 

"  Then  he's  a  brute,"  said  Rufus,  who  could  not 
help  feeling  a  degree  of  sympathy  for  the  deformed 
boy,  who  had  done  him  such  good  service. 

"  He  never  did  it  before,"  said  Humpy.  "  That's 
what  made  me  turn,  against  him." 

"And  you  won't  go  back  to  him?" 

"Never!"  said  Humpy,  decidedly.  "He'll  know 
I  let  you  out." 

"  What's  your  name  ?  "  asked  Rufus,  remembering 
that  he  had  never  heard  the  name  of  his  guide.  . 

"They  call  me  Humpy,"  said  the  deformed  boy, 
flushing  a  little.  He  had  got  hardened  to  the  name, 
he  thought ;  but  now  that  Rufus  asked  him,  he 
answered  with  a  feeling  of  shame  and  reluctance. 

"  Haven't  you  another  name?  I  don't  like  to  calJ 
you- that." 

"  My  name  is  William  Norton,  but  I've  most  for 
got  it,  it's  so  long  since  anybod}^  ever  called  me  so." 


264  RUFUS  AND  EOSK;  OR, 

"  Then  111  call  you  so.  I  like  it  better  than  the 
other.  Have  you  made  up  your  mind  what  to  do, 
now  you've  left  your  old  place  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I'm  going  out  West,  —  to  Chicago  maybe." 

"  Why  do  you  leave  New  York  ?  " 

" I  want  to  get  away  from  him"  said  William, 
indicating  his  old  employer  by  a  backward  jerk  of  his 
finger.  "  If  I  stay  here,  he'll  get  hold  of  me." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right ;  but  you  needn't  go  so  fax 
as  Chicago.  Philadelphia  would  do." 

"  He  goes  there  sometimes." 

"  What  will  you  do  in  Chicago  ?  " 

"I'll  get  along.  There's  a  good  many  things  I 
can  do,  —  black  boots,  sell  papers,  smash  baggage, 
and  so  on.  Besides,  I'll  have  some  money." 

"  The  fifty  dollars  I  am  to  give  you? " 

"  I've  got  more  besides,"  said  Humpy,  lowering 
his  voice.  Looking  around  cautiously,  lest  he  might 
be  observed,  he  drew  out  the  calico  bag  which  con 
tained  his  savings,  and  showed  to  Rufus. 

"  There's  twenty  dollar*  in  that,"  he  said,  jingling 
the  coins  with  an  air  of  satisfaction.  "  That'll  make 
seventy  when  you've  paid  me." 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.         265 

"  I'm  glad  you've  got  so  much,  William.  Where 
did  you  get  it  all?" 

"  I  saved  it  up.  He  paid  me  fifty  cents  a  week, 
and  gave  me  an  extra  quarter  or  so  sometimes  when 
he  felt  good-natured.  I  saved  it  all  up,  and  here  it 
is." 

"  When  did  you  begin  saving? " 

"  Six  months  ago.  I  used  to  spend  all  my  money 
for  oysters  and  cigars,  but  somebody  told  me  smokin' 
would  stop  me  from  growin',  and  I  gave  it  up." 

"  You  did  right.  I  used  to  smoke  sometimes ; 
but  I  stopped.  It  don't  do  a  boy  any  good." 

"  Are  you  rich  ?  "  asked  Humpy. 

"  No.     What  makes  you  ask  ?  " 

"  You  wear  nice  clo'es.  Besides,  you  are  goin'  to 
pay  me  fifty  dollars." 

"  I'm  worth  five  hundred  dollars,"  said  Rufus,  with 
satisfaction. 

"That's  a  good  deal,"  said  Humpy,  enviously. 
"  Td  feel  rich  if  I  had  so  much." 

"  You'll  be  worth  a  good  deal  more  some  time,  I 
hope." 

"  I  hope  so,  but  it'll  be  a  good  while." 


206  RUFUS  AND  HOSE;  ox, 

While  this  conversation  had  been  going  on,  th« 
boys  had  been  walking  leisurely.  But  Rufus,  who 
was  anxious  to  restore  the  tin  box  as  soon  as  possible, 
now  proposed  to  ride. 

"We'll  jump  aboard  the  next  car,  William,"  he 
said.  "  I'll  pay  the  fare." 

"  Where  are  you  goin'  ?  " 

"  To  Mr.  Turner's  office,  to  return  the  box." 

"  He  won't  think  I  had  anything  to  do  with  steaiin* 
it,  will  he?" 

"  No  ;  I'll  take  care  he  doesn't." 

They  jumped  on  board  the  next  car,  and  before 
long  reached  the  termination  of  the  car  route,  at  the 
junction  of  Vesey  Street  and  Broadway. 

"Where's  the  place  you're  goin'  to?"  asked 
Humpy. 

"  In  Wall  Street.    We'll  be  there  in  ten  minutes." 

The  boys  proceeded  down  Broadway,  and  in  rather 
less  than  ten  minutes,  Rufus,  followed  by  Humpy, 
entered  his  employer's  office. 

His  arrival  created  a  sensation. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  back,  Rufus,"  said  Mr.  Tui* 


THE  FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         267 

ner,  coming  forward,  and  shaking  his  hand  cor 
dially. 

The  clerks  left  their  desks,  and  greeted  him  in 
a  friendly  manner. 

"  I've  brought  back  the  tin  box,  Mr.  Turner,"  said 
Rufus.  "  I  told  you  I'd  get  it  back,  and  I  have,"  ho 
added,  with  pardonable  pride. 

"  How  did  you  recover  it?     Tell  me  all  about  it." 

"This  boy  helped  me,"  said  Rufus,  directing 
attention  to  Humpy,  who  had  kept  himself  in  the 
background.  "  But  for  him  I  should  still  be  a  pris 
oner,  closely  confined  and  guarded." 

"  He  shall  be  rewarded,"  said  the  banker.  "  What 
is  his  name  ?  " 

"  William  Morton." 

Mr.  Turner  took  the  boy's  hand  kindly,  dirty 
though  it  was,  and  said,  "  I  will  bear  you  in  mind, 
my  lad,"  in  a  tone  which  made  Humpy,  who  before 
felt  awkward  and  uncertain  of  a  welcome,  quite  at  his 
ease. 

"Now  for  your  story,  Rufus,"  said  the  banker. 
"I  am  curious  to  hear  yoizr  adventures.  So  you 
were  a  prisoner?" 


268  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OT?, 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Rufus,  and  forthwith  com 
menced  a  clear  and  straightforward  account  of  hia 
experiences,  which  need  not  be  repeated.  He  wound 
up  by  saying  that  he  had  promised  Humpy  fifty  dol 
lars  in  return  for  his  assistance. 

"Your  promise  shall  be  kept,"  said  Mr.  Turner. 
"  I  will  pay  you  the  money  now,  if  you  wish,"  he 
added,  turning  to  Humpy.  "  I  would  advise  you  to 
put  most  of  it  in  a  savings-bank,  as  you  are  liable  to 
be  robbed,  or  to  lose  it." 

"  I'll  put  it  in  as  soon  as  I  get  to  Chicago."  said 
Humpy. 

"  Are  you  going  there  ?  " 

Rufus  explained  why  the  boy  wished  to  leave  New 
York. 

"  Do  you  want  to  start  at  once?" 

"  I'd  like  to." 

^  Then,  Rufus,  I  think  you  had  better  go  with  him, 
and  buy  his  ticket.  You  may  also  buy  him  a  suit  of 
clothes  at  my  expense." 

"Thanh,  you,  sir,"  said  Humpy,  gratefully. 

"  If  you  can  spare  me,  Mr.  Turner,"  said  Ruius, 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.         269 

"  I  would  like  to  go  home  first,  and  let  them  know 
that  I  am  safe." 

"Certainly.  That  reminds  me  that  a  lady  —  was 
it  your  aunt  ?  —  was  in  the  office  an  hour  ago,  asking 
for  you." 

"  It  was  Miss  Manning." 

"I  promised  to  let  you  go  home  when  you 
appeared,  and  I  think  you  had  better  do  so  at  once  to 
relieve  the  anxiety  of  your  friends." 

"  Thank  you,  sir  ; "  and  Eufus  was  about  to  leave 
the  office,  when  a  thought  occurred  to  him,  and  he 
turned  back. 

"I  didn't  think  to  tell  you  that  the  money  had 
been  taken  out,"  he  said. 

"  So  I  supposed.     I  will  open  the  box." 

The  box  being  opened,  it  was  discovered  also  that 
the  government  bonds  were  missing. 

"That's  too  much  to  lose,"  said  the  banker. 
"  What  is  the  number  of  the  house  in  which  you  were 
eonfined?" 

Kufus  was  able  to  give  it,  having  judged  that  it 
would  be  wanted. 


270  RUFUS  AND  HOSE;  OR, 

"I  shall  give  information  to  the  police,  and  see 
what  can  be  done  towards  recovering  the  bonds." 

u  Shall  I  go  to  the  police-office  for  you,  Mr.  Tur 
ner?" 

"  No,  you  can  go  home  at  once.  Then  accompany 
this  boy  to  a  clothing-store,  and  afterwards  to  the 
Erie  Railroad  Station,  where  you  may  buy  him  a 
through  ticket  to  Chicago.  Here  is  the  necessary 
money  ; "  and  Mr.  Turner  placed  a  roll  of  bills  in  the 
hands  of  our  hero. 

"  Am  I  to  buy  the  railroad  ticket,  also,  out  of 
this?" 

"  Yes.  William  shall  have  his  fifty  dollars  clear 
to  start  on  when  he  gets  there." 

Miss  Manning  had  nearly  got  through  with  the 
morning  lessons,  when  a  quick  step  was  heard  as 
cending  the  stairs  two  or  three  at  a  time.  Rose  let 
drop  the  arithmetic,  from  which  she  had  been  recit 
ing,  and  exclaimed,  in  glad  excitement,  "That's 
Rufie,  I  know  it  is !  " 

The  door  opened,  and  she  was  proved  to  be 
correct. 


TTJE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   READY.         1*75 

"Where've  you  been,  Rune?"  exclaimed  hia 
sister,  throwing  her  arms  around  his  neck. 

u  Mr.  Martin  carried  me  off,  Rosy." 

"  I  knew  he  would ;  but  you  said  you  was  too 
big." 

"  He  was  smarter  than  I  thought  for.  Sit  down, 
Rosy,  and  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it.  Were  you 
anxious  about  me,  Miss  Manning  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Rufus.  I  don't  mind  saying  now  that  I 
was,  though  I  would  not  confess  it  to  Rose,  who 
fretted  enough  for  you  without." 

So  the  story  had  to  be  told  again,  and  was  listened 
to,  I  need  not  say,  with  breathless  interest. 

"  You  won't  let  him  catch  you  again,  will  you, 
RuSe  ?  "  said  Rose,  anxiously,  when  it  was  finished. 

"  Not  if  I  know  myself,  Rosy,"  answered  Rufus. 
"  That  can't  be  done  twice.  But  I've  got  to  be 
going.  I've  got  ever  so  much  to  do.  I'll  be  back  to 
dinner  at  six." 

He  hastened  downstairs,  and  rejoined  Humpy,  who 
had  been  waiting  for  him  in  the  street. 


872  RUFUS  AND  BOSK;  OR, 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

UNPLEASANT    DISCOVERIES. 

SMITH  did  not  go  home  immediately.  He  intended 
to  do  so,  but  happened  to  think  of  an  errand,  and 
tMs  delayed  him  for  an  hour  or  two. 

When  he  entered  the  house,  he  looked  around  for 
his  errand-boy,  but  looked  in  vain. 

"  Humpy  I "  he  called  out  in  a  voice  which  could 
be  heard  all  over  the  house. 

There  was  no  answer.  Smith,  who  was  not  re- 
markable  for  patience,  began  to  grow  angry. 

"  Very  likely  the  young  rascal  is  in  his  room,"  he 
said  to  himself.  "  I'll  stir  him  up." 

He  took  the  whip  and  ascended  the  stairs  two  or 
three  at  a  time.  Arrived  in  the  attic,  he  peered  into 
Humpy's  room,  but,  to  his  disappointment,  saw 
nobody. 

"  The  little  villain  got  tired  of  waiting,  and  went 
out,  thinking  I  couldn't  fin!  him  out,"  he  muttered. 


THE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUCI7   AXD   READY.          273 

"He  shall  have  a  taste  of  the  whip  when  he  comes 
back." 

He  went  downstairs  more  slowly  than  he  ascended. 
He  was  considerably  irritated,  and  in  a  state  that 
required  an  object  to  vent  his  anger  upon.  Under 
these  circumstances  his  prisoner  naturally  occurred 
Vo  him.  He  had  the  proper  key  in  his  pocket,  and, 
stopping  on  the  second  floor,  he  opened  the  door  of 
the  chamber  in  which  our  hero  had  been  confined 
His  anger  may  be  imagined  when  he  found  it  unten- 
anted.  It  was  not  very  dignified,  but  Smith  began 
to  stamp  in  his  vexation,  and  lash  with  his  whip  an 
unoffending  chair  in  which  Rufus  ought  to  have  been 
seated. 

"  I  wish  it  was  that  young  villain !  "  muttered 
Smith,  scowling  at  the  chair,  and  lashing  it  harder. 
"  I'd  teach  him  to  run  away  !  I'd  make  him  howl !  " 

Smith  was  considerably  discomposed.  Things 
were  going  decidedly  against  him.  Besides,  the 
escape  of  Rufus  might  entail  serious  consequences*, 
if  ho  should  give  information  to  the  police  about  the 
place  of  his  captivity.  A  visit  from  these  officials 

was  an  honor  which  Smith  felt  disposed  respectfully, 
18 


274  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

but  firmly,  to  decline.  Unfortunately,  however, 
policemen  are  not  sensitive,  and  are  very  apt  to 
intrude  where  they  are  not  wanted.  A  visit  to 
Smith's  abode  might  lead  to  unpleasant  discoveries, 
as  he  very  well  knew,  and  he  could  not  easily  decide 
what  course  it  would  be  best  for  him  to  pursue. 
He  inferred  at  once  that  Humpy  had  been  bought 
over,  and  had  released  the  prisoner,  otherwise  he 
would,  undoubtedly,  have  detected  or  frustrated  our 
hero's  attempt  to  escape.  This  did  not  inspire  very 
amiable  feelings  towards  Humpy,  whom  it  would 
have  yielded  him  great  satisfaction  to  get  into  his 
power.  But  Humpy  had  disappeared,  and  that  satis 
faction  was  not  to  be  had. 

Mingled  with  Smith's  anger  was  a  feeling  of  sur 
prise.  Humpy  had  been  a  good  while  in  his  employ, 
and  he  had  reposed  entire  confidence  in  his  fidelity. 
He  might  have  continued  to  do  so  but  for  the  brutal 
assault  upon  the  boy  recorded  in  a  previous  chapter. 
He  did  not  think  of  this,  however,  or  guess  the  effect 
it  had  produced  on  the  mind  of  the  deformed  errand- 
boy. 

"  T  think  I  had  better  get  out  of  the  city  a  week  or 


THE   FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         275 

two  till  this  blows  over,"  thought  Smith.  "  I  guesa 
I'll  take  the  afternoon  train  for  Philadelphia." 

This  was  a  wise  resolution ;  but  Smith  made  one 
mistake.  He  ought  to  have  put  it  into  effect  at  once. 
At  that  very  moment  information  was  lodged  at  the 
office  of  police,  which  threatened  serious  consequences 
to  him ;  but  of  this  he  was  ignorant.  He  had  no 
idea  that  Rufus  would  act  so  promptly. 

In  spite  of  his  anger  Smith  was  hungry.  His 
morning  walk  had  given  him  an  excellent  appetite, 
and  he  began  to  think  about  dinner.  As,  on  account 
of  the  unlawful  occupation  in  which  he  was  engaged, 
he  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  employ  a  cook,  who 
might  gossip  about  his  affairs,  he  generally  devolved 
the  task  of  preparing  the  dinner  upon  Humpy,  whom 
he  had  taught  to  cook  eggs,  broil  beef-steak,  make 
coffee,  fry  potatoes,  and  perform  other  simple  culi 
nary  duties.  Now  that  Humpy  was  gone,  he  was 
obliged  to  do  this  work  himself. 

He  looked  into  the  .pantry,  and  found  half-a-dozen 
eggs,  and  a  slice  of  steak.  These  he  proceeded  to 
cook.  He  had  nearly  finished  his  unaccustomed 
task  when  the  door  opened,  and  Martin  returned, 


276  IIUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

vrith  his  nose  a  little  redder  than  usual,  and  his 
general  appearance  somewhat  disordered  by  haste 

"What  brings  you  here  so  soon?"  asked  Smith, 
in  surprise.  "  What's  the  matter?" 

"I  came  near  gettin'  nabbed;  that's  what's  the 
matter,"  said  Martin. 

"  How  did  that  happen  ?  " 

"  I  went  into  a  cigar-store  near  the  ferry  in  Jersey 
City,"  said  Martin,  "  and  asked  for  a  couple  of 
cigars,  —  twenty-cent  ones.  I  took  'em,  and  handed 
in  one  of  }^our  ten-dollar  bills.  The  chap  looked  hard 
at  it,  and  then  at  me,  and  said  he'd  have  to  go  out 
and  get  it  changed.  I  looked  across  the  street,  and 
saw  him  goin*  to  the  police-office.  I  thought  I'd 
better  leave,  and  made  for  the  ferry.  The  boat  was 
just  goin'.  When  we'd  got  a  little  ways  out,  I  saw 
the  cigar  man  standin'  on  the  drop  with  a  copp  at 
his  elbow." 

"  You'd  better  not  go  to  Jersey  City  again,"  said 
Smith. 

"  I  don't  mean  to,"  said  Martin.  "  Have  you  got 
enough  dinner  for  me  ?  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  dog." 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.         277 

"  Yes,  there's  dinner  enough  for  two,  and  that's  all 
theie  is  to  eat  it." 

Something  significant  in  his  employer's  tone  struck 
Martin. 

"  There's  the  boy  upstairs,"  he  said. 

"  There  isn't  any  boy  upstairs." 

"  You  haven't  let  him  go  ?  "  queried  Martin,  staring 
open-mouthed  at  the  speaker. 

a  No,  he  got  away  while  I  was  out  this  morning, 
—  the  more  fool  I  for  leaving  him." 

"  But  there  was  Humpy.  How  did  the  boy  get 
away  without  his  seeing  him  ?  " 

"  Humpy's  gone  too." 

"  You  don't  say !  "  ejaculated  Martin. 

"  Yes,  I  do." 

"What  you  goin'  to  do  about  it ?"  inquired  Mar 
tin,  hopelessly. 

"  I'll  half  Mil  either  of  the  little  rascals  when  I 
get  hold  of  them,"  said  Smith,  spitefully. 

"  I'd  give  something  out  of  my  own  pocket  to 
get  that  undootiful  son  of  mine  back,"  chimed  in 
Martin. 


278  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/;, 

"  I'll  say  this  for  him,"  said  Smith,  "  he's  a  good 
sight  smarter  than  his  father." 

"  I  always  was  unlucky,"  grumbled  Martin.  "  1 
aiat  been  treated  right." 

"  If  you  had  been  you'd  be  at  Sing  Sing," 
returned  Smith,  amiably. 

"  Smith,"  said  Martin,  with  drunken  dignity,  for 
he  was  somewhat  under  the  influence  of  a  liberal 
morning  d.am,  "  you'd  ought  to  respect  the  feelin's 
of  a  gentleman." 

"Where's  the  gentleman?  I  don't  see  him,"  re 
sponded  Smith,  in  a  sarcastic  tone.  "  If  you  aint  too 
much  of  a  gentleman  to  do  your  share  of  the  work, 
just  draw  out  the  table  and  put  the  cloth  on." 

This  Martin,  who  was  hungry,  did  with  equal  alac 
rity  and  awkwardness,  showing  the  latter  by  over 
turning  a  pile  of  plates,  which  fell  with  a  fatal  crash 
upon  the  floor. 

"  Just  like  your  awkwardness,  you  drunken 
Drute  !  "  exclaimed  Smith,  provoked. 

Martin  did  not  reply,  but  looked  ruefully  at  the 
heap  of  broken  crockery,  which  he  attributed,  like  his 
other  laisfortunes,  to  the  ill-treatment  of  the  world, 


THE    FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND    KEADY.         279 

and  meekly  got  upon  his  knees  and  gathered  up  the 
pieces. 

At  length  dinner  was  ready.  Martin,  in  spite  of 
an  ungrateful  world,  ate  with  an  appetite  truly  sur 
prising,  so  that  his  companion  felt  called  upon  tu 
remonstrate. 

"I  hope  you'll  leave  a  little  for  me.  It's  just 
possible  that  I  might  like  to  eat  a  little  something 
myself." 

"  I  didn't  eat  much  breakfast,"  said  Martin,  apolo 
getically. 

"You'd  better  lunch  outside  next  time,"  said 
his  employer.  "  It  will  give  you  a  good  chance  to 
change  money." 

"  I've  tried  it  at  several  places,"  said  Martin  ;  "  I 
could  do  it  better  if  you'd  give  me  some  smaller 
bills.  They  don't  like  to  change  fives  and  tens." 

After  dinner  was  despatched,  and  the  table  pushed 
back,  Smith  unfolded  his  plans  to  Martin.  He  sug 
gested  that  it  might  be  a  little  unsafe  to  remain  at 
their  present  quarters  for  a  week  or  fortnight  to  come, 
and  counselled  Martin  to  go  to  Boston,  while  he 
would  go  to  Philadelphia. 


280  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OT?, 

"  That's  the  way  we'll  dodge  them,"  he  concluded. 

"  Just  as  you  say,"  said  Martin.  "  When  do  you 
want  me  back  ?  " 

"  I  will  write  you  from  Philadelphia.  You  can  call 
at  the  post-office  for  a  letter  in  a  few  days." 

"  When  had  I  better  sell  the  bond?" 

"  That  reminds  me,"  said  Smith.  "  I  will  take  the 
box  with  me." 

He  went  and  unlocked  the  drawer  in  which  the 
box  had  been  secreted.  To  his  dismay  he  discovered 
that  it  was  gone. 

"  Have  you  taken  the  tin  box  ? "  he  demanded, 
turning  upon  Martin  with  sudden  suspicion. 

"  Isn't  it  there?"  gasped  Martin. 

"No,  it  isn't,"  said  Smith,  sternly.  "Do  you 
know  anything  about  it  ?  " 

"  I  wish  I  may  be  killed  if  I  do ! "  asserted 
Martin. 

"  Then  what  can  have  become  of  it?  " 

"  It's  my  undootiful  boy  that  took  it,  —  I'm  sure  It 
ts,"  exclaimed  Martin,"  with  sudden  conviction. 

"  He  had  no  key." 

"  Humpy  got  him  one,  then." 


t'HE    FORTUNES    OF  ROUGH   AND   IfEADT.         281 

Just  then  Smith  espied  on  the  floor  some  scraps  of 
wax.  They  told  the  story. 

"You're  right,"  he  said,  with  an  oath.  "We've 
been  taken  in  worse  than  I  thought.  The  best  thing 
we  can  do  is  to  get  away  as  soon  as  possible."  . 

They  made  a  few  hurried  preparations,  and  left  the 
house  in  company.  But  they  were  too  late.  A 
couple  of  officers,  who  were  waiting  outside,  stepped 
up  to  them,  as  they  set  foot  on  the  sidewalk,  and  said, 
quietly,  "  You  must  come  with  us." 

"What  for?"  demanded  Smith,  inclined  to  show 
fight. 

"You'd  better  come  quietly.  You  are  charged 
with  stealing  a  box  containing  valuables." 

"  That's  the  man  that  did  it,"  said  Smith,  pointing 
to  Martin.  "  He's  the  one  you  want." 

"He  put  me  up  to  it,  and  shared  the  money," 
retorted  Martin. 

"  You're  both  wanted,"  said  the  officer.  "  You'll 
have  a  chance  to  tell  your  story  hereafter." 

As  this  winds  up  the  connection  of  these  two 
worthies  with  our  story,  it  may  be  added  here  that 
they  were  found  guilty,  not  only  of  the  robbery, 


232  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  o/?, 

but  of  manufacturing  and  disseminating  counterfeit 
money,  and  were  sentenced  to  Sing  Sing  for  a  term 
of  years.  The  bonds  were  found  upon  them,  and 
restored  to  Mr.  Vanderpool. 

Thus  the  world  persists  in  its  ill-treatment  of  our 
friend,  James  Martin.  Still  I  cannot  help  thinking 
that,  if  he  had  been  a  sober  and  industrious  mar,  he 
would  have  had  much  less  occasion  to  complain. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  READY.    283 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

CONCLUSION. 

IN  the  course  of  an  hour  Humpy  was  provided  with 
a  new  suit,  which  considerably  improved  his  appear 
ance.  Rufus  accompanied  him  to  the  Erie  Railway 
Station,  where  he  purchased  for  him  a  through  ticket 
to  Chicago,  and  saw  him  enter  the  cars. 

"  Good-by,  William,  and  good  luck  !  "  said  Rufus. 

"  Good-by,"  said  Humpy.  "  You're  a  trump. 
Tou're  the  first  friend  I  ever  had." 

"  I  hope  I  shan't  be  the  last,"  said  Rufus.  "  Shall 
I  give  your  love  to  Smith,  if  I  see  him  ?  " 

u  Never  mind  about  it." 

Rufus  was  compelled  to  leave  the  station  before 
the  cars  started,  in  order  to  hurry  back  to  the  office 
Arrived  there  a  new  errand  awaited  him. 

"  Rufus,"  said  Mr.  Turner,  "  do  you  remember 
where  Mr.  Vanderpool  lives  ?  " 

"  The  owner  of  the  tin  box  ?    Yes,  sir/' 


284  RUFUS   AND   ROSE;    On, 

"  You  may  go  up  at  once,  and  let  him  know  thai 
his  property  is  recovered." 

This  task  Rufus  undertook  with  alacrity.  He  had 
been  pleased  with  what  he  saw  of  Mr.  Vanderpool 
on  his  first  visit,  and  was  glad  to  be  able  to  tell  hi  r, 
that  the  box,  for  whose  loss  he  felt  partly  to  blame, 
was  recovered. 

He  was  soon  ringing  the  bell  of  the  house  in 
Twenty-Seventh  Street.  * 

Mr.  Vanderpool  was  at  home,  the  servant  told  him, 
and  he  was  ushered  immediately  into  his  presence. 

The  old  gentleman,  who  had  been  writing,  laid 
aside  his  pen,  and,  looking  up,  recognized  Rufus. 

"  You're  the  boy  that  came  to  tell  me  about  my 
property  being  stolen,  are  you  not  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  it's  found." 

"  Bless  my  soul,  you  don't  say  so  !  Did  the  thief 
give  it  up  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Rufus.     "  I  took  it  from  him." 

"Is  it  possible?     Why,  you're  only  a  boy,"  said 

0 

Mr.  Vanderpool,  regarding  him  with  interest. 

"  Bo}rs  can  do  something  as  well  as  men,"  said 
Rifus,  with  pardonable  pride. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  ROUGH  AND  RE  ADJ.    285 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it." 

Rufus  told  his  story  as  briefly  as  possible.  When 
lie  described  how  he  had  been  entrapped  and  im 
prisoned,  Mr.  Vanderpool  said,  "  Bless  my  soul ! " 
several  times. 

"  You're  a  brave  boy ! "  he  said,  when  the  story 
was  finished. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Rufus,  modestly. 

"  Were  3*011  not  afraid  when  you  were  locked  up  by 
those  bad  men  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  sir." 

"I  should  have  been.  I  don't  think  I  am  very 
brave.  You've  behaved  very  well  indeed,  Master 
I  don't  remember  your  name." 

"  Rufus  Rushton." 

"  Master  Rushton,  I  must  make  you  a  present." 

"  I  have  only  done  my  duty,  Mr.  Vanderpool.  I 
don't  want  any  present  for  that." 

"  We'll  talk  about  that  afterwards.  By  the  way, 
have  you  thought  anything  more  about  the  question 
whether  the  planets  are  inhabited  ?  " 

"  I  can't  say  I  have,  sir.  I've  had  so  much  elso  to 
think  about." 


2M>  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  O.R, 

"  Very  true,  very  true.  I've  written  a  few  pages 
more,  which  I  will  read  to  you  if  you  have  time." 

"  I  should  like  very  much  to  hear  them,  sir ;  but  I 
am  afraid  I  must  hurry  back  to  the  office." 

"  Ah,  I  am  sorry  for  that,"  said  the  old  gentleman, 
in  a  tone  of  disappointment,  but  he  brightened  up 
immediately. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  my  young  friend,"  he  said ; 
"you  shall  come  and  dine  with  me  next  Saturday 
at  six,  and  then  we  will  have  the  evening  to  our 
selves.  What  do  you  say?  " 

"  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  come,  sir,"  said  Rufus, 
not  quite  sure  whether  he  would  be  happy  or  not. 

When  Saturday  came  he  presented  himself,  and 
was  very  cordially  received  by  the  old  gentleman. 
The  dinner  was  a  capital  one,  and  served  in  excellent 
style.  Mr.  Vanderpool  paid  Rufus  as  much  attention 
as  if  he  were  a  guest  of  distinction,  —  read  him  his 
essay  on  the  planets,  and  showed  him  some  choice 
engravings.  The  evening  passed  very  agreeably,  and 
Rufus  was  urged  to  come  again.  He  did  so,  and  so 
won  the  favor  of  the  old  gentleman  that  at  the  end 
<of  two  months  he  was  invited  to  come  and  make  his 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH    AND    READY.         287 

home  permanently  in  the  house  in  Twenty-Seventh 
Street. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Vanderpool,"  said  our  hero. 
"  You  are  very  kind ;  but  I  shouldn't  like  to  leave 
Miss  Manning  and  my  little  sister." 

"  Have  you  a  little  sister?     Tell  me  about  her." 

r  Her  name  is  Rose,  and  she  is  a  dear  little  girl," 
said  Rufus,  warmly. 

"How  old  is  she?" 

"  Eight  years  old." 

"  I  am  glad  she  is  not  a  young  lady.  You  can 
bring  her  too.  I've  got  plenty  of  room.  Who  is 
Miss  Manning  ?  " 

"  She  is  a  friend  of  mine,  and  teaches  my  sister." 

"  Why  can't  she  come  and  look  after  my  servants? 
I  have  no  house-keeper." 

"  I  will  mention  it  to  her,"  said  Rufus. 

Rufus  did  mention  it  to  Miss  Manning,  who  by 
appointment  called  upon  the  old  gentleman.  Mr. 
Vanderpool  repeated  the  invitation,  and  offered  her 
ten  dollars,  per  week  for  her  services.  Such  an  offer 
was  not  to  be  rejected.  Miss  Manning  resigned  her 
situation  as  governess  to  Mrs.  Colman's  children. 


288  SUFUS  AND  EOSE;  OB, 

greatly  to  that  lady's  disappointment,  and  removed 
with  Rose  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Vanderpool.  Elegant 
chambers  were  assigned  to  all  three,  and  they  found 
themselves  living  in  fashionable  style.  As  neither 
had  any  board  to  pay,  Rufus  felt  justified  in  dressing 
both  Rose  and  himself  in  a  manner  more  befitting  the 
style  in  which  they  now  lived,  while  Miss  Manning 
also,  finding  that  she  was  expected  to  preside  at  the 
table,  felt  called  upon  to  follow  their  example.  It 
was  such  a  change  for  all  three  that  it  seemed  like  a 
dream  sometimes  when  they  recalled  the  miserable 
attic  in  Leonard  Street,  and  the  humble  lodging  near 
the  North  River. 

Rose  was  sent  to  school,  and  had  a  music-teacher 
at  home.  Miss  Manning  also,  having  considerable 
time  at  her  disposal,  took  lessons  in  music  and 
French,  and  soon  acquired  very  respectable  pro 
ficiency  in  both.  The  old  gentleman,  so  long  ac 
customed  to  solitude,  seemed  to  renew  his  youth  in 
the  cheerful  society  he  had  gathered  around  him,  and 
came  to  look  upon  Rufus  and  Rose  as  his  own  chil 
dren.  He  was  continually  loading  them  with  gifts, 
and  his  kindness  won  their  gratitude  and  affection. 


TflK    FORTUNES    OF   ROUGH   AND    READY.         289 

He  tried  to  induce  Rufus  to  give  up  his  situation  with 
the  banker  ;  but  our  hero  was  of  an  independent  turn, 
and  had  too  active  a  temperament  to  be  content  with 
doing  nothing.  On  the  succeeding  Christmas  lie  re- 
ceiA^ed  from  Mr.  Vanderpool  a  very  costly  gold  watch, 
which  I  need  not  say  was  very  acceptable. 

About  six  months  after  her  entrance  into  the  house, 
Miss  Manning  was  profoundly  astonished  by  receiving 
from  the  old  gentleman  an  offer  of  marriage. 

"  I  don't  ask  for  romantic  love,  my  dear  Miss 
Manning,"  said  Mr.  Vanderpool,  "  but  I  hope  you 
will  not  find  it  hard  to  like  me  a  little,  and  I'll  try  to 
make  you  happy.  I  don't  want  to  hurry  you.  Take 
a  week  to  think  of  it." 

Miss  Manning  did  take  a  week  to  think  of  it.  She 
was  not  in  love  with  Mr.  Vanderpool,  —  that  was 
hardly  to  be  expected,  as  he  was  thirty  years  older 
than  she,  —  but  she  did  respect  and  esteem  him,  and 
she  knew  that  he  would  be  kind  to  her.-  So  she  said 
yes,  after  consulting  with  Rufus,  and  one  morning, 
without  any  fuss  or  ostentation,  she  was  quietly  mar 
ried,  and  transformed  from  plain  Miss  Manning  into 

the  rich   Mrs.    Vanderpool.     I    may   say   here   that 
19 


290  RUFUS  AND  ROSE;  OR, 

neither  she  nor  her  husband  has  seen  cause  to  repent 
the  match,  so  unexpectedly  brought  about,  but  live 
in  harmony  and  mutual  friendship,  as  I  hope  they 
may  continue  to  do  to  the  end  of  their  days. 

When  Eufus  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he 
was  agreeably  surprised  by  an  offer  from  Mr.  Tur 
ner  to  take  him  into  partnership. 

"  But,  Mr.  Turner,"  he  said,  "  I  have  very  little 
capital,  —  far  too  little  for  a  partner  in  such  a  large 
business." 

"You  have  fifty  thousand  dollars.  That  will 
answer  very  well." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  sir,"  said  Rufus,  sus 
pecting  that  Mr.  Turner  was  crazy,  or  was  dream 
ing. 

"  You  remember  the  tin  box  which  you  recovered 
five  years  ago  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Mr.  Vanderpool  has  made  it  over  with  its  con 
tents  to  you  as  a  free  gift.  Its  value,  as  you  re 
member,  is  fifty  thousand  dollars,  or  rather  more 
now,  some  of  the  stocks  having  risen  in  value." 

Rufus  was  quite  affected  by  this  munificent  gift, 


THE   FORTUNES   OF  ROUGH  AND   READY.          291 

and  no  longer  objected  to  the  plan  proposed.  Shortly 
after,  the  style  of  the  firm  was  changed,  and  now,  as 
you  pass  through  Wall  Street,  if  you  will  closely 
examine  the  signs  on  either  side  of  the  street,  your 
eyes  may  light  on  this  one :  — 

TURNER  AND  RUSHTON, 
BANKERS. 

You  will  have  no  trouble  in  conjecturing  that  the 
'junior  partner  in  this  firm  is  the  same  who  was  first  * 
known  to  you  as  Rough  and  Ready.  \  If  you  think 
that  our  young  friend,  the  newsboy,  has  had  rare 
luck,  I  hope  you  will  also  admit  that,  by  his  honesty,    , 
industry,  and  generous  protection  of  his  little  sister, 
he  has  deserved  the  prosperity  he  has  attained - 

George  Black  has  long  since  bought  out  hia 
partner's  interest  in  the  periodical  store,  and  now 
carries  on  quite  a  flourishing  trade  in  his  own  name. 
Smith  and  Martin  are  -still  in  prison,  their  term  of  con 
finement  not  yet  having  expired.  What  adventures 
yet  remain  in  store  for  James  Martin  I  am  unable 
to  say,  but  I  doubt  if  he  will  ever  turn  over  a  new 


292  RTPUS    AND    ROSE. 

leaf.     His  habits  of  indolence  and  intemperance  are 
too  confirmed  to  give  much  hope  of  amendment. 


The  fortunes  of  Rough  and  Ready,  so  far  as  this 
record  is  concerned,  are  now  ended,  and  with  them 
is  completed  the  sixth  and  concluding  volume  of 
the  Ragged  Dick  Series.  But  the  flattering  interest 
which  his  young  friends  have  taken  in  these  pictures 
of  street  life  leads  the  author  to  announce  the  initial 
volume  of  a  new  series  of  stories  of  similar  charac 
ter,  which  will  soon  be  published  under  the  name  of 


TATTERED  TOM  : 

OR, 

TUB  ADVENTURES  OF  A  STREET 


Famous  itastlemon  Boohs. 


No  author  of  the  present  day  has  become  a  greater  favorite 
with  boys  than  "  Harry  Castlemon,"  every  book  by  him  is  sure 
to  meet  with  hearty  reception  by  young  readers  generally.  His 
naturalness  and  vivacity  leads  his  readers  from  page  to  page 
with  breathless  interest,  and  when  one  volume  is  finished  the 
fascinated  reader,  like  Oliver  Twist,  asks  "for  more." 


By  Harry  itastlemoru 

GUNBOAT  SERIES.      By  Harry  Castlemon.     In 
box  containing  the  following.    6  vols.     l6mo.     Cloth, 

extra,  black  and  gold $75° 

(Sold  separately.) 

Frank  the  Young  Naturalist.    Illustrated.    i6mo.  i  25 

Frank  in  the  "Woods.     Illustrated.     i6mo i  25 

Frank  on  the  Prairie.     Illustrated.     i6mo i  25 

Frank  on  a  Gunboat.     Illustrated.     i6mo i  25 

Frank  before  Vicksburg.     Illustrated.     i6mo.  .    .  i  25 

Frank  on  the  Lower  Mississippi.     Illustrated. 

i6mo.    , i  25 

GO  AHEAD  SERIES.     By  Harry  Castlemon.     In 
box  containing  the  following.    3  vols.     i6mo.    Cloth, 

extra,  black  and  gold 3  75 

(Sold  separately.)  l 


2  PORTBR   &    COATES'S   POPULAR   JUVENILES. 

Go  Ahead  ;  or,  The  Fisher  Boy's  Motto.     Illustrated. 

161110 $i  2$ 

No  Moss ;  or,  The  Career  of  a  Rolling  Stone.  Illus 
trated.  i6mo .  I  25 

Torn  Newcombe ;     or,   The   Boy  of    Bad   Habits. 

Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES.  By  Harry 
Castlemon.  In  box  containing  the  following.  3  vols. 

i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 3  75 

(Sold  separately.) 

Frank  at  Don  Carlos' Rancho.  Illustrated.  i6mo.  i  25 
Frank  among  the  Rancheros.  Illustrated.  i6mo.  i  25 
Frank  in  the  Mountains.  Illustrated.  i6mo  .  .  i  25 

SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  SERIES.  By  Harry 
Castlemon.  In  box  containing  the  following.  3  vols. 

l6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 3  75 

(Sold  separately.) 

The  Sportsman's  Club  in  the  Saddle.  Illus 
trated.  I  Cmo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold  ....  125 

The  Sportsman's  Club  Afloat.  Being  the  2d  vol 
ume  of  the  "  Sportsman's  Club  Series."  Illustrated. 
l6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold I  25 

The  Sportsman's  Club  among  the   Trappers. 

Being  the  3d  volume  of  the  "  Sportsman's  Club 
Series."  Illustrated.  l6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and 
gold I  25 

FRANK  NELSON  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castle 
mon.  In  box  containing  the  following.  3  vols.  i6mo. 
Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 375 

(Sold  separately.) 

Snowed    up ;    or,   The     Sportsman's    Club   in    the 

Mountains.     Illustrated.     i6mo I  25 

Frank  Nelson  in  the  Forecastle  ;  or,  the  Sports 
man's  Club  among  the  Whalers.  Illustrated.  i6mo.  I  25 

The  Boy  Traders ;  or,  The  Sportsman's  Club  among 

the  Boers.     Illustrated.     i6mo I  25 


PORTER   &   COATES'S   POPULAR   JUVENILES.  3 

BOY  TRAPPER  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castle- 
mon.  In  box  containing  the  following.  3  vols.  i6mo. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $3  75 

(Sold  separately.) 

The  Buried  Treasure;  or,  Old  Jordan's  " Haunt." 
Being  the  1st  volume  of  the  "  Boy  Trapper  Series." 
Illustrated.  l6mo I  25 

The  Boy  Trapper ;  or,  How  Dave  filled  the  Order. 
Being  the  2d  volume  of  the  "Boy  Trapper  Series." 
Illustrated.  i6mo I  25 

The  Mail  Carrier.  Being  the  3d  and  concluding  vol 
ume  of  the  "  Boy  Trapper  Series."  Illustrated.  i6mo.  I  25 

ROUGHING  IT  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
In  box  containing  the  following.  3  vols.  Cloth, 
extra,  black  and  gold 3  75 

(Sold  separately.) 

George  in  Camp  ;  or,  Life  on  the  Plains.  Being  the 
ist  volume  of  the  "  Roughing  It  Series."  Illustrated. 
161110 i  25 

George  at  the  "Wheel;  or,  Life  in  a  Pilot  House. 
Being  the  2d  volume  of  the  '•  Roughing  It  Series." 
Illustrated.  161110 I  25 

George  at  the  Fort ;  or,  Life  Among  the  Soldiers. 
Being  the  3d  and  concluding  volume  of  the  "  Rough 
ing  It  Series."  Illustrated.  i6mo i  25 

ROD  AND  GUN  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
In  box  containing  the  following.  3  vols.  Cloth, 
extra,  black  and  gold 3  75 

(Sold  separately). 

Don  Gordon's  Shooting  Box.  Being  the  ist  vol 
ume  of  the  "Rod  and  Gun  Series."  Illustrated. 
i6mo I  25 

Rod  and  Gun.     Being  the  second   volume  of  the 

"  Rod  and  Gun  Series."     Illustrated.     i6mo.     ...       I  25 

The  Young  Wild  Fowlers.  Being  the  third  vol 
ume  of  the  "  Rod  and  Gun  Series."  Illustrated.  i6mo.  I  25 


Alger's  Renoujneb  Boohs 


Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  has  attained  distinction  as  one  of  the  most 
popular  writers  of  books  for  boys,  and  the  following  list  com 
prises  all  of  his  best  books. 


By  Horatio  Alger,  ]r. 


RAGGED  DTCK  SERIES.     By  Horatio  Alger, 
Jr.,  in  box  containing  the  following.      6  vols.      l6mo. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $7  50 

(Sold  separately.) 

Ragged  Dick;  or,  Street  Life  in  New  York.     Illus 
trated.     i6mo I   25 

Fame  and  Fortune;  or,  The  Progress  of  Richard 

Hunter.     Illustrated.     161110 I  25 

Mark  the  Match  Boy;  or,  Richard  Hunter's  Ward. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

Rough  and  Ready ;  or,  Life  among  the  New  York 

Newsboys.     Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

Ben  the  Luggage  Boy;  or,  Among  the  Wharves. 

Illustrated.       i6mo I   25 

Rufus  and  Rose ;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  Rough  and 

Ready.     Illustrated.     i6mo 125 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES.     (FIRST  SERIES.) 
By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  in  box  containing  the  following. 
4  vols.     i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold      ...       5  oo 
(Sold  separately.) 

Tattered  Tom;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Street  Arab.     Il 
lustrated.       i6mo I   25 

Paul  the  Peddler;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Young 

Street  Merchant.      Illustrated.       l6mo I   25 

Phil  the  Fiddler;  or,  The  Young  Street  Musician. 

Illustrated.       i6mo I   25 

4 


PORTER   A   COATES'S   POPULAR  JUVENILES.  5 

Slow  and  Sure ;  or,  From  the  Sidewalk  to  the  Shop. 

Illustrated.      i6mo $1  2$ 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES.  (SECOND  SERIES.) 
In  box  containing  the  following.  4  vols.  Cloth, 
extra,  black  and  gold 5  °° 

(Sold  separately.) 

Julius;  or,  The  Street  Boy  Out  West.     Illust'd.    i6mo.     I  25 

The  Young  Outlaw ;  or,  Adrift  in  the  World.  Il 
lustrated.  i6mo I  25 

Sam's  Chance  and  How  He  Improved  it.  Il 
lustrated.  i6mo I  25 

The  Telegraph  Boy.     Illustrated.      i6mo I  25 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES.  (FIRST  SERIES.) 
By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  in  box  containing  the  following. 

4  vols.     161110.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 5  °° 

(Sold  separately.) 

Luck  and  Pluck;    or,  John  Oakley's  Inheritance. 

Illustrated.       l6mo I  25 

Sink  or  Swim ;  or,  Harry  Raymond's  Resolve.  Il 
lustrated.  i6mo I  25 

Strong  and  Steady;  or,  Paddle  Your  Own  Canoe. 

Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

Strive  and  Succeed ;  or,  The  Progress  of  Walter 

Conrad.     Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES.  (SECOND 
SERIES.)  In  box  containing  the  following.  4  vols. 

i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 5  oc 

(Sold  separately.) 

Try  and  Trust;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Bound  Boy.  Il 
lustrated.  i6mo I  25 

Bound  to  Rise ;  or,  How  Harry  Walton  Rose  in  the 

World.     Illustrated.       i6mo I  25 

Risen  from  the  Ranks ;  or,  Harry  Walton's  Success. 

Illustrated.       161110 I  25 

Herbert  Carter's  Legacy;  or,  The  Inventor's  Son. 

Illustrated.     l6mo I   25 


6  PORTER   &   COATES'S   POPULAR   JUVENILES. 

BRAVE   AND   BOLD    SERIES.      By   Horatio 

Algcr,  Jr.,  in  box  containing  the  following.     4  vols. 

l6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $5  oo 

(Sold  separately.) 

Brave  and  Bold;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Factory  Boy. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

Jack's  Ward;    or,    The  Boy  Guardian.     Illustrated. 

l6mo I   25 

Shifting  for  Himself;  or,  Gilbert  Greyson's  Fortunes. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

Wait  and  Hope ;  or,  Ben  Bradford's  Motto.     Illus 
trated.      i6mo i  25 

CAMPAIGN  SERIES.     By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  in 
box  containing  the  following.     3  vols.      161110.    Cloth, 

extra,  black  and  gold 375 

(Sold  separately.) 

Frank's  Campaign ;    or,  the   Farm  and  the  Camp. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

Paul  Prescott's  Charge.     Illustrated.     i6mo.     .    .       I  25 
Charlie  Codman's  Cruise.     Illustrated.      i6mo.    .       i  25 

PACIFIC  SERIES.    By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.    4  vols. 

i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 5  oo 

(Sold  separately.) 

The  Young  Adventurer;   or,  Tom's  Trip  Across 

the  Plains.     Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

The  Young  Miner;  or,  Tom  Nelson  in  California. 

Illustrated.      161110 i  25 

The  Young  Explorer;  or,  Among  the  Sierras.     Il 
lustrated.     i6mo I   25 

Ben's  Nugget ;  or,  A  Boy's  Search  for  Fortune.     A 

Story  of  the  Pacific  Coast.     Illustrated.     i6mo.  .    .    .       I   25 


The  Young  Circus  Rider;  or,  The  Mystery  of 
Robert  Rudd.  Being  the  1st  volume  of  the  "  Atlantic 
Series."  Illustrated.  161110.  Cloth,  extra,  black 
and  gold I  25 


PORTER  A  COATES'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES.         7 

Do  and  Dare ;  or,  A  Brave  Boy's  Fight  for  Fortune. 
Being  the  2d  volume  of  the  "Atlantic  Series."  Illus 
trated.  i6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold  ....  $12$ 

Hector's  Inheritance  ;  or,  Boys  of  Smith  Institute. 
Being  the  yl  volume  of  the  "  Atlantic  Series."  Illus 
trated.  i6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold  ....  I  25 


By  \t.  A.  Stephens, 


Rare  books  for  boys — bright,  breezy,  wholesome  and  instruc 
tive — full  of  adventure  and  incident,  and  information  upon 
natural  history — they  blend  instruction  with  amusement — contain 
much  useful  and  valuable  information  upon  the  habits  of  animals, 
and  plenty  of  adventure,  fun  and  jollity. 

CAMPING  OUT  SERIES.  By  C.  A.  Stephens. 
In  box  containing  the  following.  6  vols.  i6mo. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $7  50 

(Sold  separately.) 

Camping  Out.      As  recorded  by  "  Kit."     With  eight 

full-page  illustrations.     i6mo I  25 

Left  on  Labrador ;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Schooner 
Yacht  " Curlew "  As  recorded  by  "Wash."  With 
eight  full-page  illustrations.  i6mo I  25 

Off  to  the  Geysers;  or,  The  Young  Yachters  in 
Iceland.  As  recorded  by  "  Wade."  With  eight  full- 
page  illustrations.  i6mo I  25 

Lynx  Hunting.  From  Notes  by  the  Author  of 
"Camping  Out."  With  eight  full-page  illustrations. 
i6mo i  25 

Pox  Hunting.    As  recorded  by  "  Raed."    With  eight 

full-page  illustrations.      161110 I   25 

On  the  Amazon  ;  or,  the  Cruise  of  the  "  Rambler." 
As  recorded  by  "Wash."  With  eight  full-page  illus 
tration^.  i6mo I  25 


PORTER  &  COATES'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

By  ].  I.  Crombri6ge, 


These  stories  will  rank  among  the  best  of  Mr.  Trowbridge's 
books  for  the  young,  and  he  has  written  some  of  the  best  of  our 
juvenile  literature. 

JACK  HAZARD  SERIES.  By  J.  T.  Trowbridge. 
In  box  containing  the  following.  6  vols.  i6mo. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $7  50 

(Sold  separately.) 

Jack  Hazard  and  his  Fortunes.      With  twenty 

illustrations.     i6mo I   25 

A  Chance  for  Himself ;    or,  Jack  Hazard  and  his 

Treasure.     With  nineteen  illustrations.     i6mo.  ...       I   25 

Doing  his  Best.     With  twenty  illustrations.     i6mo.        I   25 

Fast  Friends.     With  seventeen  illustrations.       i6mo.       I  25 

The   Young  Surveyor ;    or,  Jack  on  the  Prairies. 

With  twenty-one  illustrations.       i6mo I   25 

Lawrence's  Adventures  Among  the  Ice  Cut 
ters,  Glass  Makers,  Coal  Miners,  Iron  Men  and  Ship 
Builders.  With  twenty-four  illustrations.  i6mo.  .  .  I  25 


By  E6uiar6  S. 


A  New  Series  of  Books  for  Boys,  equal  in  interest  to  the  "  Cas- 
tlemon"  and  "Alger"  books.  His  power  of  description  of 
Indian  life  and  character  is  equal  to  the  best  of  Cooper. 

BOY  PIONEER  SERIES.     By  Edward  S.  Ellis. 

In  box  containing  the  following.     3  vols.    Illustrated. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $3  75 

(Sold  separately.) 
Ned  in  the  Block  House ;  or,  Life  on  the  Frontier. 

Being  the  1st  volume  of  the  "Boy  Pioneer  Series." 

Illustrated.     i6mo.  » I   25 

Ned  in  the  Woods.     Being  the  2d  volume  of  the 

"  Boy  Pioneer  Series."     Illustrated.     i6mo I  25 

Ned  on  the  River.     Being  the  3d  volume  of  the 

"  Boy  Pioneer  Series."     Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 


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